


A Flashlight to See in the Dark

by Kazyre



Series: Flashlight [1]
Category: Justice League of America (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Action & Romance, Family, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Parent-Child Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-01
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2018-04-12 11:26:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 157,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4477502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kazyre/pseuds/Kazyre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Iris dies suddenly, leaving Barry to raise their three-year-old nephew by himself, Hal Jordan steps up to help out his best friend. Years pass, friendship grows into something much more, and somehow the three of them become a family. Story will span Wally's life from age three all the way to the formation of the Team - will be mostly humor and fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Too slow, _Flash_ ," Professor Zoom's fist slammed into Barry's jaw with the force of a pickup truck. He went down hard in the street, cracking his head on the asphalt painfully. Barry's vision went black for a split second and he rolled to the side when he heard a garbage truck honking at him frantically. The tires passed by inches from his head and Barry jumped up lightning fast. Sight returned to him amidst a flurry of grey specks and he felt for the vibrational disturbances Zoom was carelessly leaving in his wake.

He was heading west.

Barry gave chase, weaving through rush hour traffic and down sidewalks packed with people going home for the night. He sped around a corner, ruffling clothes and blowing half the newspapers from a stand into the street, and spotted a yellow streak of lightning burning up the side of a skyscraper. Barry raced the six blocks to the building, closing the gap in under three seconds.

He was pushing himself faster than he'd dared to run in the city before. Glass and concrete buckled beneath the soles of his boots as he ran up the side of the building. Barry was usually more careful in his city, but he couldn't afford to hold back when he was fighting Eobard Thawne. He'd learned quickly that Thawne wasn't afraid of murdering innocent bystanders as a way of taunting Barry and sending a crystal clear message.

If he was too slow, people would die.

Barry didn't know if it was just Professor Zoom's sadistic nature, or a sick way of pushing him to be a better hero. He gritted his teeth and closed in on Zoom, feeling the lightning arcing off him stinging his chest and shoulders like static.

Thawne veered left suddenly and ran around the side of the skyscraper to throw him off, but Barry didn't fall for it. He continued straight up, remembering that Thawne had a nasty habit of trying to knock him off the sides of buildings. When he reached the roof, Barry started looking around on high alert, expecting Professor Zoom to come charging up at him any second.

Suddenly, a woman's terrified scream rent the air. It echoed in Barry's ears and turned his head to the direction that Zoom had disappeared to. Oh God… This office high rise had a balcony garden seating area attached to that side.

More screams and the sounds of dishes breaking and chairs being overturned rose up to the roof. Barry felt his heart stop and he dashed to the edge. Damnit! He'd made a mistake. Five stories below, Professor Zoom was standing with one foot braced on the ledge of the balcony. He held a sobbing woman dressed in a dark business suit by the throat and was dangling her off the edge, face turned up and grinning darkly up at Barry.

As soon as Thawne saw that he was looking, his fingers let go and he dropped the woman. She plunged out of sight and Barry launched himself down the building. He jumped onto the balcony in a roll, landing amongst fleeing diners running back inside, and went right passed Zoom without sparing him a second glance. He chased the woman's fading scream instead, pounding his feet down the wall and putting gravity to shame.

"I've got you!" Barry reached her in a second and wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her close and making sure to keep running so that the momentum didn't snap her spine. He gradually decreased his speed as he neared the ground, fluidly making the transition from a vertical track to a horizontal one. He was just setting the trembling woman on the ground when he heard another deeper holler from above.

Barry looked up and saw an older man falling from the balcony. He could just barely make out the bright yellow figure of Professor Zoom waving down at him before he disappeared in a crackle of sparks. Barry cursed under his breath and quickly calculated where the man's trajectory was going to make him land. He zipped to the correct spot and held both arms above his head. He aimed for the falling man and rotated his arms in circles at superspeed, creating one giant funnel of air that slowed his descent enough for Barry to safely catch him.

The man was ruffled from the fall, but he looked largely unharmed for the most part. Barry set him on his feet and kept a hand on his shoulder in case he collapsed, "Are you okay?"

He nodded shakily, eyes still wide with fear, "He-He said 'Three strikes, you're out.' He told me to tell you that. I don't know what that means…"

Barry frowned in surprise. Three strikes? Since when were he and Professor Zoom playing a _game_? What did he mean…? Thawne had attacked him three times this year so far – each time just taunting him. He'd attack out of nowhere, run a path of destruction through Central, and then just _leave_. But, he'd never left anything like a message before. And this time, he'd gone after Barry at work. He'd just burst right into the CCPD and started tearing the place up. Did that meant he knew Barry's identity? How? Barry had always been so careful to keep it concealed. He had to be exceptionally cautious because his wife, Iris, would be in as much danger as _he_ would.

And so would his toddler nephew, Wally. Barry and Iris had adopted him a year ago when he was two years old. At the time, they'd just celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary and Barry was so in love with Iris that he could never deny her anything. So, when she asked him if they could take in her nephew after his mother and father died in a horrible car crash, Barry said yes. And even though Wally had only been living with them for a year, Barry had grown unexpectedly fond of the adorable little redhead. He'd rather cut off his legs than let anything happen to Wally or Iris.

But, what was going to happen now that he'd hit three strikes?

"Thank you," the man he'd caught clasped Barry's arm tightly, staring at him intently. "Really, young man. _Thank you_."

"Anytime," Barry replied with a smile, patting him on the shoulder awkwardly. Several people on the sidewalk who had seen what happened started applauding him and Barry waved at them briefly before dashing off to double check the balcony for any more damage that Professor Zoom might have caused.

Four years doing this and he still wasn't comfortable with all the adoration he got when he was Flash. Jay Garrick had warned him when he passed down the mantle, but Barry hadn't been fully prepared for an entire _city_ to worship him.

'Anytime…' he thought unhappily as he darted around the balcony garden righting tables and clearing broken glass, remembering his own lame response. Superman, _Clark_ , would have come up with something heroic to say. It was all Barry could do to keep himself from blushing at the attention. He was twenty-seven for Christ's sake! And he could _think_ at the speed of sound. He really needed to write up some dialogue for his Flash persona.

He finished the cleanup and booked it back to the police station where his coworkers in the lab and every available officer were still trying to hold it together after Professor Zoom's unprovoked attack. Barry dashed into the crime lab's supply closet before anyone could see him and changed out of his uniform, stuffing it back into the hollow compartment in the ring he wore around his finger. Barry slipped into the clothes he'd stashed there before going after Zoom and fished around in the pockets of the stiff white lab coat for his cell phone.

Barry had been in the opposite end of the police station when Thawne attacked, and had suited up before Zoom even got the chance to get _near_ Barry Allen, forensic analyst. So, he was pretty confident that Thawne had no idea who he was. Nevertheless, the fact that Zoom had targeted _his_ workplace had him nervous.

He speed dialed his wife and tapped his foot restlessly against the floor while he waited for her to pick up.

_"Hello?"_

"Iris," he breathed in relief, covering his forehead with one hand and grinning as he closed his eyes. "Are you alright? Where are you?"

He heard his wife's feminine laugh through the receiver, _"At home, of course. You dialed the house, you goof."_

Barry pulled the phone away from his ear to stare at the small square screen for an instant before bring it back up. Yes he had… He took a deep breath and cupped his hand around the mouthpiece, lowering his voice when the sound of running footsteps squeaked by the closet door from the outside, "Sorry, I'm a little frazzled. I just went a round with Professor Zoom again and I wanted to make sure you were safe. He attacked the station this time and that's a little too close for comfort for me."

 _"Wally and I are both fine,"_ Iris' voice turned serious, tinged with worry. _"You're not hurt, are you? Last time-"_

"No," Barry cut her off before she had the chance to worry more. "I was just checking in. The forensics crew is probably going to be sent home for the night while the captain sorts all of this mess out. I should be there soon."

 _"Take your time,"_ Iris replied easily. She was so effortlessly understanding of both his day job and his work as the Flash. _"I'm almost finished with dinner, but I'll keep it warm for you."_ Then, her voice got a little quieter like she was covering the receiver's microphone and speaking to someone in the room with her, _"Wally, sweetie, would you clean off the table for me, please? Just stick those magazines on the dresser in my room. I'll put them away later. Thank you, honey."_

Barry smiled down at his shoes in the dark closet, "You sound like you're busy; I'll let you go. See you in a bit."

 _"See you soon,"_ she mimicked. _"I love you."_

"Love you too, babe," Barry closed the phone with a snap and replaced it in his pocket, running his hands through his hair a few times to get rid of the matted down helmet hair look his costume sometimes gave him.

He carefully slipped out of the closet and jogged down the hall to where Captain Frye was addressing the entire crime lab. Barry squeezed in beside two of the blood spatter analysts and tried to look like he'd been there the whole time. The captain ordered them all to evacuate while the building's integrity was being decided and give their statements about what happened to the officers outside.

Barry did as he was told, moving outside with the rest of his coworkers and giving a heavily doctored statement to one of the beat cops making their rounds. He was just about to leave after they'd all been dismissed and given leave to go home when Captain Frye approached him in the parking lot. Barry felt a little funny standing around in his lab coat, but he shrugged it tighter around his body against the deepening chill of dusk.

"You alright, Barry?" he asked, brushing dust and a little bit of soot out of his grey hair. His normally perfectly creased suit jacket was slung over his arm, and his shirt and suspenders were rumpled and stained.

"Better than you, Captain," Barry nodded to his obvious state of dishevelment.

"Oh, I was in the station's lobby when Professor Zoom burst in. The friction from his speed set a small fire and we had a little trouble putting it out," Frye looked down at himself with a wry shrug. "And you can call me Darryl, son. I think we've known each other long enough that you don't have to call me Captain."

It was true. Barry had known Captain Frye since he was a boy. He'd been a close family friend and had let Barry stay with him for a year after his mother's death until he was able to support himself. Barry considered the police captain family, but that wasn't going to stop him from showing the man the proper respect he deserved at work. He couldn't help flashing a cheeky grin at him, "That's probably true, Captain."

Frye just fixed him with an exhausted stare and shook his head, smiling, "I'm glad you're okay. I'd heard that the crime lab was untouched, but you never know. You could've been flirting with the ladies over in evidence lock-up."

Barry raised an eyebrow and gave Frye an unamused glare. Marge, the evidence and property technician was sixty-two and had grandchildren older than he was. "I don't think Iris _or_ Marge's husband would appreciate that very much."

Frye burst out in loud, belly laughs.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Barry smiled, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. "I know I'm not much of an action and danger guy like your detectives, but I've seen my fair share over the years. I'm not going to go post-traumatic stress disorder on you, don't worry."

"With all the crap the Rogues pull in this city, I'm surprised the whole damn town isn't desensitized to the attacks," Frye sighed wearily and eyed the flashing red and blue lights of the squad cars surrounding the station. He jerked his thumb towards his own car and gave Barry an amiable slap on the shoulder. "You need a ride home tonight?"

Barry shook his head, looking up at the rapidly waning sunset, "It's not too dark; I think I'll just hoof it. Thanks for the offer though, Cap."

He'd be able to make it home faster on foot than letting Frye drive him.

"Well, you be careful," Frye warned him with a small smile even as he squinted out across the darkening plaza. "You never know what's out there. Especially in this city."

Barry knew better than most, but he didn't let on. He just nodded good-naturedly, "Will do, sir."

Barry made his way passed the large fountain decorating the plaza in front of the station, receiving several waves and calls to have a good night. He turned onto the sidewalk and went down a few blocks at normal speed before he ducked behind a vacant pawn shop to change into the Flash uniform. He wanted to do a quick once over of the city before he turned in for the night and went home.

He flicked the secret clasp on his Flash ring for the second time that day and caught his suit once it shot out. He changed into it in the blink of an eye and then he was burning across Central City, doing a thorough circuit through the different sections and across the bridges spanning the Missouri River.

It was a quiet night. The Rogues seemed to have retired early – at least they respected normal sleep schedules. Barry didn't know how Batman stalked his city all night _and_ handled a day job. Come to think of it…what _was_ his day job? Barry honestly couldn't imagine the dark protector of Gotham doing anything like working a drive-thru or stuck in an office cubicle. Maybe he was like a pro wrestler or a football player or something. He was way too built.

He stopped a few muggings, a convenience store robbery, and talked down one lonely teen preparing to jump off the Keystone Bridge.

It was near 7:00pm when he finally headed towards Danville where he and Iris lived. He preferred living in the quiet, residential section of Central as opposed to the city's center. Two seconds later, he was back in plain clothes and on the front porch of his house. He stuck his key in the lock and shouldered his way inside, "I'm home, babe. Sorry I'm extra late; I wanted to look for Thawne one more time before I…"

He trailed off when he saw that the entire living room was slightly hazy with thin smoke. Further in, the fire alarms were going off shrilly. Barry shut the door with his foot and shrugged off his coat, dashing into the dining room and fanning the detector at superspeed until it went quiet. He grimaced and buried his nose in the crook of his elbow as he smelled the overpowering, acrid odor of something burning, "Iris! You fall asleep cooking or something?"

He was smiling when he said it; both he and Iris were prone to forgetting things when they were cooking. In Barry's case, it was setting timers. His powers messed up his sense of time occasionally, and he'd let things overcook all the time. Barry zipped into the kitchen next, intending to turn off the stove and fan the smoke detector in here too.

He made it four steps in and rounded the counter only to catch his foot on something and be sent stumbling into the cabinets. Barry braced himself before he fell into the sink, bending his wrist the wrong way painfully in the process. He shook his hand to relieve some of the stinging ache and found his balance again.

'Right,' he thought, turning off the two burners on the stove and moving the frying pan full of what used to be food but was now charcoal into the sink. 'That's why there's no superspeed in the house.'

Plus, Wally was getting old enough to know who the Flash was and make the connection. Barry and Iris still weren't sure yet whether they wanted him to know the secret or not. He was so young that he wouldn't understand the need for secrecy and he might let it slip without meaning to.

Barry turned around to see what he'd tripped over and almost slipped on something spilled all over the floor. He looked down and saw thick red smeared where he'd stepped and the body of his wife sprawled motionless on the ground by the dishwasher.

He just stared at her for a long minute, not really processing what he was seeing. In the background, one of the smoke detectors started going off again, but he barely heard it. Barry slowly sank down to his knees and brushed his fingers through the red liquid uncomprehendingly, "…Iris…?"

She was lying on her side with her eyes closed and a limp hand resting over a dark red hole in her chest. There wasn't any response to his question.

Barry started trembling as he looked down at his bloody hands. The numb shock that had taken over broke suddenly and Barry felt his heart rip in two. He scrambled forward and pressed his fingers to Iris' neck, " _Iris?!_ Honey, look at me!"

She didn't budge.

He pulled her into his arms, feeling his eyes burn with frantic tears, "Open your eyes, _please_! Iris?"

Her head lolled back in his arms and her hair spilled back away from her face, revealing the words 'Strike Three' written on her cheek with her own blood. Barry's trembling ceased and he went completely still. Professor Zoom had done this…? He _did_ know Barry's identity – and Iris had paid the price for it.

He carefully ran his fingers through Iris' hair and saw the pretty red strands seem to slow as they fell until they were frozen in midair. Barry knew he was slipping into relative time, but he didn't try to fight it as everything stopped around him.

He knew that it was dangerous to exist in a frame of reality so much faster than the rest of the world – knew that there was always the possibility that he could get stuck in it forever – but he didn't care. If he could stay just like this with Iris, living through seconds as long as days, it would be okay.

Barry just pulled her closer and wrapped both arms around his wife, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He closed his eyes and completely detached himself from time, letting his speed run wild. There was no point holding on; Iris had always been his anchor. Without her, there weren't many people capable of bringing him out of it.

It felt like weeks that he sat there cradling Iris' body before anything changed. He heard the long drawn out sounds of someone entering the home. He didn't even bother looking up until they'd reached the kitchen days later and that's when he saw who his guests were.

Wonder Woman and Superman.

Diana was frozen in a walking position and Clark looked like he was moving in extreme slow motion. It was impressive that Barry could perceive him as moving _at all_. He hadn't known that Clark was that fast. His expression morphed at a snail's pace from confusion and concern to shock once he saw all the blood.

"Barry," Clark spoke in a deep, achingly slow voice. "What happened?!"

"Zoom…" Barry said as slowly as he could manage. He pulled back and looked down at the blood all over his chest and arms. Iris' blood…

Again, Clark's expression changed painfully slowly and Barry watched it cycle through dread, anger, pity, sadness, and concern again. It felt like another day had passed before he spoke again and started leaning down to touch Barry's shoulder, "You need to slow down. I can barely see you."

Barry moved away from him and stared at the fingers still outstretched towards him. It would take another day for them to reach him, "No point."

Behind Clark, Diana still hadn't moved an inch. He kept trying to appeal to Barry in slow motion, despite the difficulty he was having keeping up, "Come on, please don't give up. Your wife wouldn't want that. Just slow down for _her_."

Barry felt a tear roll down his cheek as he looked at Iris. _She_ was the only one he'd ever wanted to slow down for. Being with her didn't feel slow at all. The rest of the world could drag on and on at times for him, but Iris had made it all normal somehow. Now she was gone.

But, Clark was right; Iris wouldn't have wanted him to collapse and give up. He could slow down one more time for her.

He took a deep, shuddering breath and closed his eyes. His mind started to pull against the almost irresistible force that was calling him to go faster – to get up and _run_ – and he felt its influence retreating. Barry kept breathing, willing his heartbeat to decrease and picturing Iris' face as he fought to return to the rest of the world's time.

"Flash?" He felt a soft hand on his shoulder after what felt like several hours and opened his eyes to see Diana crouched in front of him. Her blue eyes were fathomless with sorrow and compassion, and Barry couldn't stand to look at her. "Are you back with us?"

Clark already knew that he was and he was scanning the rest of the house cautiously, "Where did Professor Zoom go? Did you see him attack her?"

"She was dead when I got home…" Barry mumbled in stunned numbness, afraid to move any more in case he woke up Iris. She looked like she could be sleeping – but she wasn't. "Why are you here…?"

"J'onn called us," Diana told him quietly, dropping her eyes to the ground. "He always keeps part of his mind open to us and he picked up on a sudden spike of severe emotional distress coming from you. He was worried and asked us to check on you."

"Do you want us to go after Zoom?" Clark offered his help immediately, but Diana held out a hand to silence him.

She curled gentle fingers along Barry's jaw and lifted his head until they were eye to eye, "Who should we call for you?"

Her peaceful voice helped keep Barry calm. He blinked slowly and shook his head disjointedly, trying to answer her but coming up with nothing.

"Not yet?" Diana supplied graciously with a tilt of her head. She settled down on the floor opposite him. "That's okay. You want to spend a little more time with her. May we stay here until you're ready?"

Barry's throat constricted painfully and his eyes welled up with tears as he nodded.

Clark didn't ask any more about Thawne. He just remained silent and stood back, clasping his hands in front of himself respectfully. Diana reached for Iris' hair, pausing long enough to give Barry the opportunity to tell her to stop if he wanted. He didn't. She brushed aside the vibrant red tresses gingerly and wiped off the words Zoom had written on her cheek.

"She's very beautiful," Diana commented with a tentative smile.

Barry had always thought so. He couldn't remember a time before he and Iris were together. She was his whole world. He knew he talked about her incessantly to the other six Leaguers, but they'd never complained – at least not to his face. His heart gave another agonizing twist and Barry could feel the loss of Iris digging into him.

"I remember you always said that you loved her eyes the most," Diana finished removing the blood and sat back to give him space. Clark continued to watch them both mournfully.

Iris' eyes had been breathtaking. They were what had drawn Barry to her the first time they'd met at a crime scene. She'd been one of the many reporters clamoring against the tape perimeter to get a statement from the police, but her eyes had made her stand out. They'd been so full of intelligence and spirit that Barry _had_ to chase her down later and ask for a date. He'd never seen eyes so _green_ before.

…Except…

Terror hit Barry over the head like a baseball bat. He jerked upright, startling both Diana and Clark, and felt his body begin to vibrate again with nervous dread, "Wally!"

"Who is Wally?" Clark asked quickly, getting ready to stop him if he tried to slip into relative time again. He exchanged a concerned expression with Diana, who was looking just as startled.

"He was here!" Barry gasped in horror, clutching Iris' body convulsively. He'd heard her talking to Wally on the phone earlier when he was at the station! Where was he?! Barry started to rise to his feet, but stopped when he remembered that he was still holding Iris. He floundered in a panic for a moment, wanting to run and find his nephew but not wanting to leave his wife by herself.

"I'll keep her safe for you," Diana held out her arms to him and Barry's thoughts whirled trying to come to a decision. He hesitantly handed Iris over and watched Diana cradle her delicately for a few seconds before he was satisfied. She looked up at him patiently and nodded to show him that she wouldn't move until he got back, "Go."

Then, Barry was zipping all over the house at superspeed, calling Wally's name desperately. He checked behind the couch, in the den, under all the beds, in the bathroom, even the shed in the back yard. He ran back inside the house and started all over again, tearing doors off their hinges and overturning furniture, " _Wally!"_

Oh God, what if Thawne had killed him too?!

"Barry!" Clark was suddenly in front of him, holding him by the shoulders with a steel grip. "Calm down and think. I don't know who Wally is, but just take a second and think about where he would go if he was threatened."

Barry vibrated anxiously, letting his mind run a thousand miles per hour to come up with the answer. Where would Wally run to if Professor Zoom was after him? He wouldn't have time to go anywhere. Thawne would have killed him right on the spot. Unless… Unless he wasn't in the room when Iris was killed. Barry remembered the conversation he'd had with Iris again. She'd asked Wally to take some magazines into their room. That must've been right before Zoom attacked.

"The closet!" Wally always hid in their closet during thunderstorms because it wasn't by any of the windows.

Clark frowned in abrupt confusion and released Barry's arms, "The closet…? Who-"

Barry didn't stay long enough to hear the rest of his sentence. He sprinted into his and Iris' room a second later, grabbing the doorframe to swing his momentum to the side. There were magazines lying crumbled on the floor right beside the dresser and one of the bottom drawers was pulled out like Wally had used it as a step to reach the top. Barry dashed to the closet and yanked the slatted doors open violently, dropping to his knees and crawling forward in the dark, "Wally?! Wally, are you here?!"

A small sniffle came from the very back of the closet and Barry started shoving aside coats and pants frantically. He pushed away one of Iris' long dresses that she'd worn for the policeman's ball last year and almost cried out in relief when he saw Wally's tiny body huddled underneath the skirt's hem. He had his tiny knees pulled up to his chin and his arms wrapped around his legs, sniffing and crying silently in terror.

Wally looked up with red, watery eyes and hiccupped. He was shaking like a leaf and sobbing quietly, but he was unhurt.

"Thank God," Barry breathed, hanging his head bonelessly. He reached out to grab Wally and the little boy flinched, letting loose a pitiful sob. He just pulled Wally out of the closet and into his lap, crushing him against his chest. "You're okay…"

Two little arms wound around his neck desperately and Wally clung to him like a koala. He cried into Barry's shirt and it broke his heart. Barry kept one hand on his back and smoothed down his unruly mop of fiery hair. Fresh tears streamed down his face as he heard a small voice cry 'Uncle Barry' into his collar.

"It's okay, kiddo," Barry said soothingly, unable to believe that he'd forgotten about the young child in his grief. He held Wally close and rocked him back and forth slowly. "You're safe. I've got you."

"Wally is your nephew… He was here when it happened?!"

Clark was standing in the doorway looking shocked, the red and blue of his uniform somehow seeming less impressive in the dark room. He must've heard Wally call him 'uncle'.

"He's my son now," Barry corrected him, already feeling better with Wally in his arms. He didn't feel that frantic need to run anymore – to lose himself in time. "Iris and I adopted him last year."

"How come you never mentioned him?"

Barry checked to see how Wally was doing before he answered. The young redhead was very still and his breathing had evened out. He didn't know if Wally had cried himself to sleep or just dropped from sheer exhaustion, "It was a little before the League was formed. We wanted to wait a while until Wally was settled in and more comfortable with us before telling anyone. Hal knows, but that's it."

Clark nodded like he understood completely, "Barry, I'm so sorry. If you need _anything_ , just say the word."

Barry didn't move from his spot on the floor. He absently rubbed Wally's back and gave him a kiss on the top of his head, "Find Professor Zoom."

"Where does he hide out?" Clark asked without offering any complaints.

"The future," Barry spoke bluntly. He looked up at Clark with hard eyes. "He doesn't operate like the Rogues. Clark, he knows who I am. He probably didn't know we'd taken Wally in and that's why he wasn't attacked. But, if he finds out…"

"I won't let that happen," Clark vowed firmly, looking down at Wally as he spoke. "He'll be in Belle Reve before the night's over. Leave it to me."

"Thank you," Barry told him whole-heartedly. He wiped his forearm over his eyes and blinked to clear them.

"Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?" he asked with concern. "It's not safe here."

"I can stay in Keystone. I have a friend there," Barry sighed tiredly. He carefully got to his feet and shifted Wally more comfortably to his hip. "But, I need to call the police first. God, I don't know what to tell them. I'm a forensic tech and I absolutely destroyed my own wife's crime scene…"

"I'm sure they'll understand," Clark put a hand on his shoulder, his eyebrows turning downwards worriedly.

Barry just nodded, digging in his pocket for his cell phone, "I'm going outside to make the call. Can you tell Diana for me? I…I don't want Wally to see…I don't…all the blood-"

"Of course," he pushed Barry towards the door. "She'll come up with something to tell the police; don't worry about that."

Barry kept his eyes on the ground as he made his way through the house to the front door. He didn't want to accidentally see anything that would tempt him to back into the kitchen – anything that reminded him of Iris. It still didn't seem real. She was dead…how-?

He numbly slipped through the door and closed it behind him, stepping out into the night air and hearing crickets chirping softly in the grass. Barry walked down the porch to the bottom step and sat down, leaning back so that Wally could rest against his shoulder. His cell phone screen glowed brightly against the dark and Barry scrolled through his contacts slowly. His bloody fingers left sticky red smears on the buttons.

A shudder ripped up Barry's spine and he roughly scrubbed his hand against his pants to try and clean it off a little. He inhaled sharply and held it, blinking rapidly against the tears filling his eyes again. Did he want to call Captain Frye's private line? What would he say? Barry desperately wanted to hear the older man's reassuring voice and was too afraid to call at the same time. He closed out the list and dialed 911 instead, putting the phone on speaker and resting it against his forehead.

_"911. This is operator 29. What is your emergency?"_

Barry opened his mouth and spoke mechanically, "My wife was murdered. I need…I need a deputy sent out to Danville. The address is 3837 Phil Tyner Road."

_"Are you alone, sir? What's your name?"_

"I'm with my son and…Wonder Woman. My name is Barry Allen. I work at the CCPD under Captain Darryl Frye."

The operator paused for a moment. Barry didn't recognize her voice over the phone, but she obviously knew his name, _"…Barry? Are you alright? Is the attacker still on the premises?"_

"No," he croaked. "He's not here."

 _"I'm sending an ambulance and as many squad cars as I can,"_ she said clearly, and Barry could hear the concern in her voice now that she knew he was a cop. _"You said Wonder Woman was there? Do you know the attacker?"_

Barry's mind thought up a plausible excuse for Wonder Woman's presence and spoke loud enough for Clark to hear him inside the house. He could relay the words to Diana to coordinate the story, "Yes. She showed up shortly after I arrived. She was chasing Prof…fessor Zoom… I think he did it."

He shut his eyes tightly and took a deep breath to cover the nauseating rage that swept over him at the thought of Thawne.

 _"Alright, Barry. Just stay calm like you are right now,"_ the operator told him firmly. _"Help is on the way."_

"Thank you," Barry mumbled miserably, closing his cell phone with a snap and setting it on the step beside him. He wrapped his arm around Wally again and rested his cheek atop the boy's head, staring disconnectedly at the walkway leading to the sidewalk. Wally snuggled closer to him in his sleep and Barry felt his heart twist painfully.

They sat there for around five minutes until the sound of sirens approached from far away, the wailing getting louder and louder. Red and Blue lights started bouncing off windows and the sides of houses at the end of the street and Barry readied himself for the inevitable. All the noise startled Wally awake and the young boy looked up at Barry in alarm as six squad cars pulled into the driveway in front of the house.

Barry just squeezed his son tighter and felt his heart crumble. Captain Frye got out of one of the squad cars and started towards them at a run with two other officers at his sides. Again, they seemed to move too slowly in his perceptions, but Barry didn't feel the warning pull that told him he was slipping into relative time. He was firmly held in the present by the small child in his arms.

Wally was his anchor now.


	2. Chapter 2

Hal Jordan touched down in Coast City a little before 9:00pm. He flew into an empty Ferris Aircraft hangar that he'd 'accidentally' disabled the security cameras to and powered down his ring, feeling his Green Lantern's light retreating from around his body. Hal jammed his arms into his flight jacket and shrugged it tighter around his shoulders, wincing a little when he agitated the giant bruise currently occupying his right shoulder blade. He'd taken a small meteor right to the side while protecting the planet Ramnos from what would have been a fatal meteor strike.

He'd have to put some ice on it before he went so sleep.

Sneaking out to where he'd discreetly parked his car, Hal dodged a handful of hired security guards and was on his way home before they even figured out someone was on the premises after hours. He made to his apartment building in record time thanks to the lack of traffic and was sticking his key in the lock right at 8:50.

He kicked the door shut behind him and carelessly tossed his keys on the floor where he kicked off his shoes. The apartment was dark, just like he'd left it, and he didn't bother turning on any lights. Hal just made his way passed the sparsely furnished living room and glanced at the answering machine as he went by. The indicator light was silently blinking red and a number flashed on the screen in time with it.

Thirty-three messages?! Hal caught himself on the doorframe and stared down at the phone in disbelief. He picked up the receiver and pressed the caller ID button, groaning when it displayed over fifty missed calls.

Well, crap. That meant something big had gone down while he was off planet on Corps business. He doubted that the messages were all from beautiful ladies calling for his affections. He'd only been gone three weeks and he'd broken it off with Carol again right before he left, so he hadn't had a chance to break any hearts lately.

Speaking of Carol, Hal noticed one of her shoes lying beneath the coffee table. He raised an eyebrow at the offending shoe and dropped the phone back into the cradle, stalking into the kitchen and opening the fridge to grab a beer. He popped it open with a ring construct and strolled lazily back into the living room, downing half the bottle before reaching over to hit 'play' on the machine.

The answering machine beeped and Hal reclined in the moonlight glowing through the window, tipping the bottle to his lips tiredly.

"You have…thirty-three messages. Playing March 11th, 4:00pm. _'Hey, Hal. It's Janice. I just wanted to know if you were going to be able to make Jack's birthday party tomorrow. Give us a ring when you get this, thanks.'_ "

Hal squeezed his eyes shut and let his head fall back with a groan. He'd forgotten his brother's birthday. Again… That would take some smoothing over.

"March 12th, 11:45pm. _'Hal, it's Clark. We've tried to get hold of you several times. Call me when you get this.'_ "

Hal chewed on his lip, counting the days in his head. The twelfth was something like a week and a half or two weeks ago. Whatever 'crisis' they'd had was definitely solved by now. He propped his feet up on the coffee table, hooking one ankle over the other comfortably.

"March 13th, 1:06am. _'It's Clark again. I really need you to call me back. As soon as you can. It's important.'_ "

Hal just rolled his eyes, already thinking about taking another vacation day to recover and sleeping in tomorrow.

The next message played, and this time it was at 1:30am from Diana. _'Hal. Pick up your phone._ Now _. You didn't tell any of us you left and no one knows when you're coming back. Contact us immediately when you return.'_

Jeez, she was such a ball-buster. Hal wrinkled his nose at the Amazon's voice, wondering what kind of disaster they'd needed him for so early in the morning. Typhoon? Alien invasion? Starro again? Robot doppelgangers?

"March 13th, 3:00am. _'Hal. We have been unable to hail you on your communicator. Contact either Happy Harbor or Central City as soon as you are able.'_ " That time it was J'onn. Hal's curiosity was piqued now. Did that mean whatever went down happened in Barry's city? He felt a little bad about not being there now, but Barry was the best. He could handle anything.

The next twenty messages continued in the same fashion: Clark, Diana, or J'onn asking him to respond all day and into the 14th. Diana's messages were downright hostile and Clark's were pleading. Eventually, it came to 9:00pm on the 14th and Batman's voice came over the answering machine – grim and terse, _'Jordan. You left without your communicator and this will_ not _happen again. There's been an emergency. Call_ someone _the second you get this.'_

That one was a little unnerving. Hal didn't really want to be on Batman's bad side – although he seemed sort of destined for it. The League had only been around for a year and he'd already managed to tick off Batman and Wonder Woman at least a dozen times.

The next message played and it was Clark again. He sounded different this time, not harried or anxious, just…sad. _'It doesn't look like you're going to make it back in time, so I might as well tell you so that you know as soon as possible.'_

The tone of his voice and the subsequent long pause made Hal sit up a little straighter and had him listening closely.

_'Barry's wife was murdered early yesterday morning… The funeral is tomorrow and I was really hoping you'd be back for it. He's not doing well and I know how close the two of you are.'_

Hal froze and the bottle almost fell from his hands.

_'You probably know by the time you get this that we want you to call us – or Barry at least. The funeral's going to be at Central Memorial Park at 2:00pm.'_

Iris was dead…?

Hal shot to his feet and bolted to the calendar he'd nailed to the wall, fumbling to flip to the right month with one hand and dig his cell phone out of his pocket with the other. What day was it?! He stuck his finger on the square marked 15th, awkwardly holding the previous months up with his elbow as he looked up the date on his phone.

Today was the 27th…

Hal gaped in open-mouthed horror at the numbers, feeling his stomach drop into his knees. This had all happened _two weeks_ ago. He dropped the calendar and clamped his hand over his mouth. The answering machine beeped again. "March 15th, 8:27am."

 _'Hal…'_ a quiet, dead voice issued from the speakers.

Hal turned around slowly to look at the phone in dread. That was Barry's voice – no doubt – but it was so dull and listless. He waited silently through the pause, still able to hear Barry's broken breathing.

 _'I…Hal, I can't do this. I have to bury her, but… You have to be here-I really need you here right now._ Please. _I don't know how to do this,'_ Barry stumbled through the words like he'd never spoken before.

Hal didn't stay to hear the rest of the shaky, whispered message. He let the machine run and sprinted for the front door, dropping to his hands and knees to find the keys. Where the fuck had he put them?! He groped under the table and caught the key ring on his index finger, grabbing them and jumping back to his feet. He was outside and locking the apartment behind him in record time, activating his ring without so much as a single glance to see if anyone was watching.

He reached into the pocket dimension inside his ring and produced his Justice League . Hal jammed it into his ear and took off east towards the Midwest as fast as he cold. He hated wearing the bulky earpiece – they really needed to upgrade it. It was _not_ subtle. But now he regretted leaving it off. The range probably wouldn't have extended all the way to Ramnos, but it might've picked up signals on his return trip.

Barry was always complaining about how irresponsible he was and Hal wished he'd listened. He felt like a failure and an awful friend. He _wasn't there_ when Barry needed him the most. They'd been friends long before the League was formed and Barry deserved better from him. All he'd had to do was deal with an annoying earpiece.

"Green Lantern to Mt. Justice. Anyone there?" Hal held down the microphone button as he soared high over California. The border to Nevada was approaching fast. He tried to mentally figure up how long it would take to get to Central City and had it pegged at just under three hours when Aquaman's voice came through the communicator.

_"We've been trying to-"_

"Reach me for weeks, I know!" Hal interrupted him impatiently. "I just got back and I listened to Superman's messages. Can you tell me where Flash is?"

 _"Central City,"_ Arthur reported in a quiet, careful voice. _"He's been there since the funeral; he took a leave of absence from the League and I think from heroing altogether. The first Flash has been patrolling the gem cities for the last few weeks."_

That would be Jay Garrick. He and Barry were really close, ever since he got his powers. Sometimes Hal sort of wished he had the same kind of relationship with Alan Scott, but Alan was an insufferable, condescending jerk. So…no.

"Jeez…" Hal sighed in worry for his friend. Barry _never_ took breaks from patrol. He didn't know what kind of shape he was going to be in mentally when Hal got there. "Do you know what happened? Who killed her?"

 _"It was Professor Zoom,"_ Arthur told him.

Hal almost stopped in mid-air. Eobard Thawne had showed up two years ago and had been gunning for Barry's throat ever since. If he'd killed Iris… Was it random or in retaliation? If it was the latter, then that meant Zoom knew who Barry was, "Is he still on the loose?"

 _"No. Superman caught him early the next morning. Zoom is sitting in Belle Reve Penitentiary right now with two crushed legs and a freshly wiped mind,"_ Arthur's voice crackled over the earpiece.

"Isn't that a bit overkill for Superman and Martian Manhunter?" Hal frowned down at the Earth speeding by below him. That sounded more like something _he_ would do.

Arthur agreed with him, _"I don't think Zoom even knew his own name when the Martian was through with him, but it had to be done. He'd figured out Flash's identity somehow and he couldn't be put in with the rest of the incarcerated villains there with that knowledge."_

Hal's heart sank. So it _had_ been retaliation. Barry was going to be blaming himself for Iris' death, "Has anyone talked to him about it? What was he – did he seem…okay? Like, is he a danger to himself? Is anyone keeping an eye on how he's doing?"

_"I can't see him hurting himself, especially since he's got that kid now."_

Hal had forgotten about Barry's nephew, Wallace. No, they called him Wally, didn't they? He'd only met the kid a handful of times.

" _I think Flash is pouring every drop of himself into taking care of him. It's helping him keep his head above water, I think, but just barely."_

"Thanks, man," Hal pushed himself to fly faster. "Tell the others I'll be in Central for a few days, will ya?"

_"Good luck."_

He reached Central City just before 1:00am – his best time yet. The bustle was clearly dying down; west coast cities kept going all night by comparison. Hal flew towards Danville and landed carefully in a park around the corner from Barry's block. He stealthily dodged through a couple backyards before reaching the right street and sneaking up onto the front porch.

Hal checked over his shoulder and tucked his Green Lantern ring into a pocket before knocking on the front door hurriedly. Again, he glanced around at the quiet residential area, expecting lights to start turning on inside the neighboring homes. When no one answered, Hal knocked a little louder, rapping on the wood and trying to see into the dark house through the glass panes until he heard footsteps from within. He stepped back a little and took a deep breath, bending his knees a little impatiently.

A lamp flicked on behind the windows and Hal heard the sound of the lock turning. A second later, the door opened and Hal saw his best friend standing there looking…tired and defeated. It was in every line of his body and the way he took a minute to recognize Hal was there. His normally bright blue eyes were dull and heavily shadowed from lack of sleep, unfocused and detached from what was going on around him. His short blond hair stuck out messily like he hadn't even tried to do anything with it in days and the old Central City Cougars t-shirt and sweat pants hanging off him suggested that he'd lost a lot of weight since Hal had seen him last.

Barry's eyebrows turned downwards in confusion and his eyes flickered up and down Hal's figure, "Hal…?"

His voice sounded dead – like someone had ripped out his soul and expected to get away with it without anyone noticing. Hal's eyes widened in worried alarm and he stepped forward to hook an arm around Barry's shoulders, pulling him into an awkward sort of hug. Barry let go of the doorknob in surprise and stiffened up when Hal whispered 'I'm sorry' in a choked voice.

He pulled back, moving aside so Hal could come into the house and closing the door behind him, "What?"

"I'm sorry I wasn't here when it happened," Hal cleared his throat with a cough and found it very difficult to look his friend in the eyes. "When Iris…"

Barry's almost stoic expression shifted suddenly as he was caught off guard and Hal watched in dismay as it crumpled. _Shit_. What the hell kind of guy says the name of his friend's recently deceased wife this soon after she was murdered?!

"I'm sorry!" he bumbled frantically, holding out his arms like he could reach out and snatch the words back. Barry's slumped shoulders were the only remaining tells about how he was really doing after he finished recomposing his face into a tired mask seconds later.

"It's not your fault," Barry tried to give him a reassuring smile, but the result was sad and hollow. "Didn't take us long to figure out that you were off planet on a mission. How did it go?"

Hal cocked his head to the side and he stared at Barry with narrowed, uncomprehending eyes. He was asking how Hal's mission went? The question was so absurd given the current circumstances that he just floundered about for a response for a minute until Barry hung his head and sank down on the couch with a shaky sigh.

"I'm sorry…" Barry mumbled tonelessly, letting his fingers slide through his hair and knot at the roots. "I don't know how to….?"

He was so broken that Hal didn't have any idea where to start.

He rested a hand on the back of Barry's neck and knelt down to eye level, "Are you okay? You look _really_ bad."

Barry didn't look up. He shut his eyes and leaned against Hal's arm, shaking his head slowly, "I can't sleep. _At all_. Every time I try…I just see Ir- _her_ face and all of a sudden I've got all this energy and I can't get rid of it, so I run. I just circle the globe over and over to tire myself out, but it doesn't work. I don't know what else to do – I'm restless _all the time_. Nothing helps."

"Sounds like your powers are all messed up," Hal let go of Barry and sat back on the carpet in front of him.

He nodded, "They've never been this bad before. It's a little better when Wally's around, but I haven't been able to control them. Jay's had to take over as the Flash again until I get it figured out."

"Well, yeah…" Hal deadpanned like it was obvious. "You _did_ take off some time from work, didn't you?"

"I tried to go in, but Captain Frye kicked me out and forced me to take a month's leave," Barry said dejectedly. If it wasn't so sad, Hal would have laughed. Only Barry Allen would think he had to go in to work right after his wife died. He was so utterly lost right now.

"How's Wally?" Hal looked over his shoulder to the rest of the dark house where he assumed the young boy's room was.

Barry's depression seemed to weigh down even heavier on him, "He doesn't understand why she's gone and he's old enough to miss her. I don't know how to explain it to him right…"

"Is he awake? I can try if you want," Hal was offering before he even knew why. The last thing he wanted to do was explain death to a three year old.

Thankfully, Barry shook his head, "He's at the Garrick's in Keystone. They've been taking him about three times a week to help me out – and they insist that they just adore him – but I feel bad about it. Plus, it's actually kind of easier when he's here. He gives me something to focus on."

"But are you ignoring yourself in the process?" Hal chewed at the inside of his lip. Barry wasn't quick to anger at all, but he still felt the need to tread carefully with this subject.

"Probably," Barry admitted with another empty half smile.

Hal sighed internally. He was going to have to be here longer than a couple days in order to help Barry, "What are you going to do about Wally?"

Barry looked up at him in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Carefully, carefully.

"Uhh… Well, it was one thing when you and…um, when you had help, but you're so young to be raising a kid by yourself on top of being the Flash and working full time – and now you only have half the income you did before," Hal winced as he spoke gingerly – the words sounding worse and worse as he went on. "I just didn't know if – if you were still…uh-"

"If I was going to keep him or not?" Barry finished the sentence incredulously.

"Well…yeah."

"Of course I am," Barry looked deeply unsettled at the idea. "I can't give him up. Iris loved him so much and I have to take care of him for her. I- He was ours; he's family. He's my son."

He trailed off and looked down at his folded hands again, eyes beginning to water. Hal immediately regretted saying anything. His first concern had been for Barry's well-being, but he hadn't realized how important Wally was to him. He was the only thing Barry had left of Iris and it was obvious now how much he loved Wally.

It wasn't Barry and Iris anymore, or even just Barry by himself. It was Barry and Wally. And if Wally was important to Barry, then he was important to Hal too.

"Alright," Hal didn't argue with him. "I think it's great. How can I help?"

"What?" Barry looked taken off guard.

"Well, Jay can't help you every day of the week, can he?" Hal spoke matter-of-factly. "I'll help out the other days that he can't."

Barry's eyes narrowed and he still looked like he didn't understand.

"Y'know… babysitting…uh, picking him up from school or daycare? Does he go to school yet? Nevermind. Just…kinda whatever you need," Hal explained awkwardly. Jeez, he was complete crap at this…

To his relief, Barry cracked a smile and actually laughed, "I'm supposed to let you babysit a child? Hal, you _are_ a child."

"Shut up," Hal muttered, rolling his eyes. "You'll need me to one day and then you'll be eating those words. I can be responsible when I want."

"I still can't believe you want to watch Wally," Barry just shook his head slowly.

"Yeah, well, I want to help _you_ ," he shrugged like it was nothing. "I've tackled more difficult things than childcare for you before."

"No," Barry said with a quiet laugh like he had some great big secret that Hal wasn't privy to. "No you haven't… You sure you wanna do this? Wally's actually _really_ adorable; you might get attached to him if you're not careful."

Hal dismissed the playful warning with a scoff, "I think I can handle it."

They both fell into a comfortable silence then with Hal leaning back on his hands and watching Barry's temporary good mood quickly dissolve as soon as he had time to think about everything that had happened. Damnit. He was slipping back into depression really fast. Hal needed to do something to keep Barry's mind off of Iris.

What did _he_ do when he was depressed about something?

Hal looked up suddenly and slapped the carpet with a smile as an idea came to him, "Alright, get up. No more moping; we're going out."

Barry didn't look excited. He cocked an eyebrow at Hal and made a face, "Go out? It's 1:00 in the morning."

"That's not that late – and you said yourself that you can't sleep anyway, so why not?" Hal was already on his feet and pulling a reluctant Barry up as well.

"I'd rather just go get Wally," Barry put up minor resistance to Hal's manhandling.

"It's 1:00 in the morning," Hal mimicked his words with a teasing smile. "He's not going to be awake. Let's just go out, get your mind off everything, and we can go get Wally tomorrow."

"We?" Barry frowned.

"Yeah," Hal flashed him an impish grin. "I'm staying with you for a few days. You have no choice in the matter. It's gonna happen. Now, seriously, put on some shoes and let's go."

For once, Barry moved agonizingly slowly as he searched the house for a pair of sneakers. Hal just pulled up a list of all the bars in Central City that he'd ever been to while he waited. Rick's was walking distance – he didn't plan on being able to drive by the end of the night, and drunk _flying_ was even worse. What day was it? Wednesday. _Perfect._ It was 'Drink and Drown' night at Rick's – all you can drink for $20. He double checked his wallet and smiled when he saw the fat line of bills in it. Thankfully, he'd been on good terms with Carol right before they broke up and the pay raise she'd given him couldn't be taken away. Never date your boss…

After Barry dug up a pair of shoes and they were outside heading to Rick's, he started complaining about going to a bar and repeatedly saying that he never drank. Hal just replied with a curt 'That's why we're going' and dragged him into town.

Rick's was still pretty busy when they got there, so Hal chose a secluded corner away from the crowds and sat Barry down while he went up to the bar. He opened his mouth to order and then shut it suddenly. Hmm… How would alcohol react with Barry's metabolism? He'd never actually _tried_ to get the speedster drunk before. How much would it take?

"Uh…four of whatever's on tap," Hal told the bartender after some quick, mental math. He showed the green stamp on the back of his wrist to prove he'd paid at the door and wrangled the sloshing glasses in both hands. "I'll probably be back a lot."

The bar was moderately full for the middle of the week, which was just fine with him. The more people there were, the less anyone would notice two superheroes amongst them trying to get absolutely plastered. Hal made his way back to the booth and set three of the glasses in front of Barry.

The speedster looked at the beer distastefully and Hal just laughed, "Don't think, just drink."

"Your philosophy on life?" Barry asked dryly before picking up a glass and taking a sip.

Jeez, he was going to have to drink faster than that. Hal downed most of his own glass and flashed Barry a brilliant smile, "It's one of my ten commandments."

Barry just shook his head at him fondly and went quiet, his eyebrows pulling together into a frown. Something had reminded him of Iris…

"Come on, man." Hal sighed. "Don't make me the only one drinking. I want you to finish all three of those before I finish mine, okay? It'll be a race."

Barry responded by closing his eyes and ignoring him, "Why are we here, Hal?"

Hal set down his glass and fixed his friend with a sympathetic stare, "Because you _need_ this, buddy. You're allowed to have fun, you know, and take your mind off of everything for a night."

"Right…" Barry mumbled unconvincingly, staring down at his beer for a long moment, but he drained it all at once and pushed the empty glass at Hal. "You'll make sure we don't do anything stupid?"

Don't be a bad liar. Don't be a bad liar.

"Mmhmm," Hal nodded with his very best 'innocent' smile.

It took exactly ten seconds of dead silence to crack Barry's poker face. Then he started laughing and shaking his head, "Whatever… Have at it."

He held out the second glass of beer and Hal clinked his own against it, "Challenge accepted."

And a challenge it was…

Barry had polished off all three beers with no trouble at all as well as two more that Hal had brought after those. He didn't even get a slurred sentence out of it. Hal was frustrated and a little disappointed at the lack of effect, so he changed tactics and started ordering the fruitiest, girliest drinks he could think of.

He was just a _little_ bitter.

To his credit, Barry drank the bright pink strawberry daiquiri without complaint. He only smiled before downing the Appletini, and just raised an eyebrow at the Sex on the Beach and the Screwdriver. He was a good sport about it, but the cocktails were doing nothing. Hal ordered about twelve Jager Bombs and got Barry to throw back ten of them one after another – as fast as he could.

"How do you feel?" Hal asked curiously, watching his friend frown at the table.

Barry 'hmm'd' and examined his hands closely, "I think it's _starting_ to work…"

" _Starting_ to-?" Hal began incredulously. He shoved back from the table and all the empty glasses, answering Barry's quizzical expression with a signal to wait a second. He flashed his stamp again and leaned in close to the bartender, "Do you have anything 150 proof?"

The bartender jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the displayed bottles behind him, "Vodka and whiskey."

Hal crinkled his nose at the latter, "Better be vodka – I've got an inexperienced drinker. Can I get 2 bottles?"

He raised an eyebrow at Hal.

"Uh…there are a lot of us…" Hal said lamely.

The bartender bent down under the bar and didn't release his stare even as he handed over the clear bottles. Hal gave him a nervous half smile and quickly returned to the table. He cracked open one of the bottles and set it in front of Barry, "I don't think 'drink and drown' night was designed for speedsters. You may wanna down these fast before we get kicked out."

"What did you do?" Barry asked shrewdly, lifting the bottle to his lips.

"Nothing," Hal bristled defensively, keeping an eye on the staff. It looked like someone was onto them. "Just hurry up. I think we've reached the bar's limit."

"I thought 'drink and drown' was unlimited," Barry made a face as he polished off the first bottle, actually swaying in his seat now and blinking rapidly.

"Yeah, well, most people would have drowned by now," Hal hissed, sliding the second bottle to him without looking. He was busy keeping an eye on the bar. A few of the staff had grabbed two big, burly security guys and were pointing at the two of them. The owner appeared a minute later and made his way over to their table.

"How 'bout you boys call it a night," the owner grabbed his belt and 'ominously' hiked up the waistline of his pants like the movement was supposed to be intimidating.

Hal sighed, "Something wrong, officers?"

He never _could_ resist being a smartass.

It looked like the owner didn't appreciate his humor, "Yeah – ever hear of alcohol poisoning? Cause that's where you're headed tonight."

"We're really fine," Hal reasoned. He only had a moderate buzz, and Barry was about the same. Of course, he couldn't tell the owner that the reason they were okay was because one of them was a metahuman. "I promise you."

" _He_ doesn't _look_ fine," one of the security guys pointed over Hal's shoulder.

He turned around in confusion and found Barry slumped face down over the table with the last half empty bottle still clutched in one hand and his mouth stretched wide in a goofy grin. Hal just groaned. Barry _would_ pick _right now_ to finally get drunk.

"Uhm…"

"You need to get him to a hospital," the owner said grimly, making it implicitly clear that there would be no arguing.

"Right…" Hal nodded, getting up and going over to Barry. "I'll take him there now."

He placed a hand on Barry's back and shook him a little, "Come on, man. Let's head out now."

"We getting kicked out?" Barry let Hal drag him to his feet before deciding to help out and actually stand on his own.

Two brisk nods from the security were all the proof Hal needed, "Yup."

Barry suddenly grabbed Hal's shoulder and almost knocked heads with him as he looked up suddenly, "Let's fight them!"

"What…?" Hal cocked an eyebrow at Barry. He couldn't believe he'd just said that.

The huge smile on Barry's face only got bigger, "Come on, I've fought Captain Cold before single-handedly. We can take 'em."

Before Hal had time to panic, one of the bouncers snorted with laughter and elbowed his buddy with a roll of his eyes, " _Sure_ you have."

"We can take them," Barry tugged on Hal's collar and whispered very loudly.

"We probably could," Hal muttered to Barry before prying his fingers off and tossing a winning smile at the security. "But that would be bad. We're gonna go find you a doctor, okay?"

"Okay," Barry agreed easily, a content smile on his face. His legs didn't seem very steady, so Hal took on most of his weight and dragged him out of the bar. He tried to avoid looking anyone in the eye as they left. Geez, was this what it was like for his friends when they had to pick _him_ up drunk?

Hal tripped on a raised up seam of sidewalk when they got outside, sending Barry into hysterical laughter, "Wow…this is a super interesting side of you, Bear."

Barry didn't really seem like he understood what Hal had said. He was just stumbling along beside him with his eyes mostly closed and the bottle gradually slipping from his fingers. Alright. Mission accomplished. Barry's mind was off Iris, and fortunately he was an extremely happy drunk.

"You should let your eyes show," he said suddenly.

Hal looked down at him in confusion, "What?"

"Your Green Lantern mask," Barry made a pulling motion at his forehead to demonstrate. "You should let people see your eyes like I do."

"I don't think I have a choice; the ring just automatically makes a mask," Hal steered them slowly along the correct route back to Barry's house. The inebriated speedster kept trying to wander off and Hal had to keep tugging him back.

"You should try. You've got nice eyes," Barry rambled over him. "Not as nice as mine, of course – mine are blue. Yours are sorta ugly."

"What?!" Hal laughed. "You _just_ said they were nice like two seconds ago."

"Things change," Barry smiled like he was pleased with himself.

"Yeah, whatever. Open-eye masks are an awful choice anyways," Hal wrestled Barry out of the deserted street again. "They're not good secret identity protectors."

"Pfft," Barry cracked up again. "Says the man who signed a check as 'Green Lantern' once."

That shut Hal up. He'd done that _way_ more than just once.

"Why are we walking?" Barry complained suddenly, apparently just now noticing how long it had taken them to go just a few blocks. "I don't wanna walk anymore."

He stopped moving altogether and Hal almost fell over as the speedster's sneakers started scraping across the concrete. He readjusted his hold on Barry's torso and tried not to get annoyed, "Hey, stop that. I'm gonna drop you. I'm not kidding. _Barry_."

He took a few more steps before trying to twist free of Hal's hold, "I want to run."

"No running – and we're walking because flying while even a little tipsy is a bad idea," Hal dismissed him quickly. Barry tried to shrug him off again, nearly fell over, and got into a slap fight when Hal pulled him upright. "I told you I'd make good decisions tonight. Remember?"

"I'm gonna go dead weight on you," Barry threatened. "I'll be a dead body – I know dead bodies. I examine them every day. They're heavy."

"Stop being morbid, you dork," Hal shook his head.

"I do what I want," Barry went completely limp, dropping through Hal's grip into a runner's crouch. "I can super speed us home."

Hal scrambled to block him from taking off. He really didn't want to chase down a drunk speedster, "No, no! Please don't – that's a terrible idea."

"You don't think I can do it?" Barry's grin got wider.

"No, I don't," he physically held Barry still, using his best 'serious voice'. "It's not a challenge; do _not_ try to use-"

Barry shot off like a bullet and Hal made a grab for him but missed. He took about five lightning fast steps and then his speed cut out, sending him crashing onto his face.

Hal couldn't help it. He just stared at him and burst out laughing as Barry just sort of flopped over onto his back and groaned pitifully. Oh, he really hoped his ring was able to record everything that had happened in the last few hours.

He used an energy construct to pick Barry back up and dismissed it quickly, "I told you not to try it."

"Why isn't my speed working?" Barry just looked down at his hands in confusion.

"Three guesses," Hal said sarcastically, slinging one of Barry's arms around his shoulders. "I'll give you a hint: it's the alcohol."

"You may be right…"

Fifteen minutes later, Hal was dragging Barry's unconscious body through the front door while awkwardly fumbling with the keys. He stood in the middle of the pitch black living room and paused, trying to decide where to take his friend. The bedroom or the couch? Barry said he hadn't been able to sleep lately. What if that was because of the empty bed? Iris not sleeping there beside him might be the reason.

Better pick the couch just o be safe.

Hal hefted Barry onto one end of the couch and carefully arranged his legs so that his spine didn't twist. Barry made a delirious sort of giggle and it was so out of character that Hal had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing and waking him up. He struggled with the laces of Barry's shoes and pulled them off, feeling like he was tucking in a toddler.

He was never getting Barry drunk ever again. It was just _weird_.

Hal looked around in the dark, trying to let his eyes adjust before he went stumbling around and stubbing his toes on furniture. He'd crashed here enough times to know where Iris kept the spare blankets. Both arms were piled high with throw blankets a minute later and he was just passing the kitchen on his way back to the living room when something caught his eye. It was a grocery list stuck to the fridge with a magnet.

It was in Iris' handwriting.

Hal slowed to a halt and he frowned at the tiny paper intently. His eyes darted across the rest of the kitchen, taking in the purse lying on the counter against the wall, the GBS mug from the news station where Iris worked sitting beside the coffee pot, and the pair of grey heels placed innocently by the back door. Realization dawned on Hal as he spotted more and more things that were all evidence that Iris had lived here.

He looked up at Barry's sprawled out silhouette with sympathy. It wasn't the empty bedroom that was bothering Barry – it was the whole damn house. He wasn't going to get any closure while he was living here.

Hal padded back to the couch and carefully draped one of the blankets over his friend. He wadded up another for himself to use as a pillow and stretched out on the floor beside the couch. In the morning, he was going to try his best to convince Barry that he needed to find a new place. For now though, it looked like Barry would actually be able to get some sleep tonight. Hal felt a little better knowing that he's at least been able to do _something_ useful.

He could definitely help Barry get over this. They just had to take it one step at a time. Hopefully, Hal wouldn't screw it up.

A small smile worked its way onto his face. Hal brought his hand up to his mouth and whispered, "Ring, did you record any of that tonight?"

 _"Confirmed,"_ it said back in a tinny, robotic voice.

"Excellent…" Hal let his head fall back and he closed his eyes. Months later, when things were funny again, he would have blackmail.


	3. Chapter 3

Barry got to his feet, swinging the power drill idly back and forth as he surveyed his handiwork. One firm shake of the headboard confirmed that the twin bed he'd just put together was sound, "Wally, come here real quick."

Across the small bedroom, Wally looked up from the toy chest where he was finishing unpacking the last box of action figures. Barry beckoned him over with a smile and the tiny redhead hopped up and bounced over happily, "Yeah?"

"We're almost done, buddy," Barry ruffled his hair fondly and nodded towards the bed frame sitting in the middle of the floor. "You just have to pick where you want your bed to go."

Wally looked down at the frame thoughtfully and then all around the room for a long minute. He padded over to the window and rose up onto his tippy toes, "Can we put it here?"

"We sure can," Barry set down the drill and started dragging the bed frame across the carpet. "Watch out for a second, kiddo."

Wally backed away to give him room to put the bed against the wall, "Is that a good spot?"

Once he had it in place, Barry started unwrapping the new mattress and box spring he'd picked up yesterday, "I think it's the best spot in the whole room."

Wally beamed and went back to his toys. He climbed into an empty cardboard box and folded the flaps closed on himself, "I like this new house, Uncle Bawwy."

"What's your favorite part of it?" Barry glanced back at the box. It was rocking side to side slightly.

It had taken almost two months, and a lot of persuasive speeches from Hal, but the house in Danville had finally sold. Barry had been extremely reluctant to let it go. It had felt like he was getting rid of every last shred of Iris that was left. That had been their first place together – Barry had let Iris pick it out right after they'd gotten married.

Hal was right, though. Barry wouldn't have done well if he'd stayed in that house.

Englewood was nicer than Danville, anyways – and you could see Granite Peak National Park from the backyard. Barry could take Wally out camping and hiking whenever they wanted. There was plenty of room for Wally to run around and play.

It was better.

It _was._

"The stairs," Wally's voice was a little muffled from inside the box.

"Why the stairs?" Their last house had only been one floor whereas the new one had two stories.

"Cause – because Howl said I could um put some blankies on the stairs and make it a ramp and then sled down it!" Wally's head popped out of the box and his eyes were big and round in excitement.

Barry plopped the mattress down and shoved it into alignment with his knees. Wally was still having trouble pronouncing some things – like his and Hal's names. He was 'Bawwy' and Hal was 'Howl'. Neither of them minded. It was adorable. "Uhhh…when did he give you that idea?"

"This morning," Wally happily reported matter of factly. The box overturned and he toppled out giggling.

Right. _That_ wasn't happening. Barry sat down on the bed and tested its sturdiness again, "Well, when Hal gets back up here, he can explain to you why you're not allowed to do that."

"Aww! Why?" Wally whined, devastated.

"Because I don't want to have to take you to the hospital for a broken arm," Barry hooked one leg over the other and leaned back on his hands. Wally looked like he was gearing up for an argument when they both heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Soooo… I dunno if you're gonna be able to find anything, but the kitchen is all set up," Hal appeared in the doorway and leaned against the frame, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to gesture downstairs. He looked all around the room and whistled appreciatively. "Wow, Wally, this is a cool room."

Wally rocked back and forth happily and patted the carpet with pride like he'd personally assembled this part of the house himself.

Barry just cocked an eyebrow at Hal and kept his expression neutral, "Sledding down the stairs, huh?"

The warning tone of his voice froze Hal in place and he looked up with a nervous sort of poker face, "…What?"

Like a toddler that was just caught doing something bad.

Hal laughed nervously and shuffled his feet, directing his gaze at Wally, "Oh, right. Haha. No. See, I meant 'can' as in you have the physical ability to, not that you have permission."

Wally wasn't fooled. He frowned at Hal openly, "That's dumb! That's not what you said _before_."

"It _is_ what I said before," Hal tried to cover his screw up with his very best adult voice. "And you're obviously not gonna get permission, because letting a small child play on the stairs is irresponsible…and stupid…which your uncle is not. He's a very smart man and a good parent. Cause he cares about ya – and doesn't want you to die on the stairs…"

Both Wally and Barry were just staring at him with the same unimpressed glower. Hal pursed his lips together and averted his eyes.

"Nice save, Hal," Barry smiled at him passive aggressively. "Do you think you have any more great ideas for him? Playing in the street, perhaps? Or running with scissors?"

"Nope..." Hal shook his head innocently and made a face like he was thinking about it. "No ideas – nothing like that. Just... _a really great present!_ "

He reached out of sight of the doorframe and produced a big, horrifically wrapped present with a huge smile on his face.

"Oh God…" Barry mumbled anxiously.

Wally completely lost it and sprinted over to Hal excitedly while Barry frowned at the gift suspiciously. What was it…?

"Gimme, gimme!" Wally reached for the present, jumping up and down and grabbing with his tiny little fists. "What is it?! What is it?!"

Hal laughed and kept lifting it just out of reach, "A welcome home present. You need something super cool for this super cool new room, don't you think?"

Barry watched in alarm, all the while wondering how the hell Hal had snuck the gift into the house without him noticing. He hoped it was a pillow or something else soft and child-friendly. Hal's gifts had a tendency to be…hazardous…

Wally snatched it with one really big jump and immediately started tearing at the horribly wrapped paper, getting tape stuck in his hair and all over his clothes in the process.

"Did you wrap that with your feet?" Barry asked worriedly.

"Feet and duct tape," Hal strolled over to stand beside him with his hands on his hips like a champion.

Barry's dread only increased, "What did you get him?"

He flashed a smug grin and shrugged innocently.

Wally removed the last bit of crudely taped together paper and tossed it into the air. Barry sat upright to try and see past Wally. He didn't get a good look at what it was until his nephew cocked his head in confusion and held up a bright green cube of something tightly sealed in clear plastic.

Wally clearly didn't know what it was, and neither did Barry until Hal started making this weird, excited sort of coughing sound. Then, the sunlight caught the plastic casing and Barry could see a big, white lantern printed on green fabric. His mouth fell open in scandalized shock and he blinked rapidly to make sure he was seeing things right.

"It's a Green Lantern bedspread!" Hal told them both happily, looking from Wally to Barry and back again, clearly expecting a positive reaction.

Barry was still mentally fumbling for words when Wally set the package down and frowned at Hal, "What's a Gween Lantern?"

Hal's gleeful expression shattered and he whipped his head around to stare at Barry in open disbelief, " _What's a Gree-_?! You haven't told him who I-who Green Lantern is?!"

"You bought him a Green Lantern bed set?!" Barry shot back, equally incensed.

"What's wrong with Green Lantern?" Hal narrowed his eyes distrustfully, folding his arms over his chest.

Barry shoved a palm into Hal's face and tried not to smack him upside his chronically injured head, "Wally likes the Flash."

"What - Wally can't like both of them?" Hal shrugged angrily.

"No!" Barry held out a finger like he was scolding a puppy. He had no idea why he was getting so petty over this, but he refused to lose to Hal. He'd been grooming Wally to be a Flash fan for over a _year_! "Not to the same degree."

"The degree of a _bedspread_...? I don't see what the problem is. Now, what's _actually_ upsetting is why you haven't told this child who I-Green Lantern is," Hal frantically raised his voice to cover the slip up. Barry really had no idea how he'd kept his identity a secret for so long. At this rate, Wally was going to know that he was in the same room as two superheroes by nine o clock.

"Wally already has a _Flash_ bedspread. He doesn't need that gaudy one," Barry raised an eyebrow at Hal in warning.

Out of the corner of his eye, Barry saw Wally unzip the plastic casing and pull out the comforter to inspect it more closely.

"His Flash bedspread doesn't fit the new bed you got him," Hal threw up his arms in frustration. "You told me that yourself. He needed a new one, so I got him one. End of story."

"A story of betrayal!" Barry countered. "You have the audacity to bring that horrible thing into _my_ house?!"

"Okay, one: it's only been your house for three days," Hal held up a hand, beginning to take on crazy eyes. He nodded at Wally purposefully. "Two: how dare you talk to me about betrayal when I can clearly see the blank look in his eyes as he's holding that comforter? And three: your hurtful words are making me start to think that _you_ don't like Green Lantern! What up with _that_?!"

"I still don't know what a Gween Lantern is..." Wally piped up from where he was sitting on the floor. He had both legs stretched out in front of him and the blanket wadded up in a mound that was bigger than he was.

"Nothing important," Barry assured him quickly at the same time that Hal clamped a hand over his mouth and shoved him face down into the bare mattress. He gasped in surprise as Hal jammed a knee into his spine and held his head down with both forearms.

"Green Lantern is only the coolest, most handsome, awesomest intergalactic space cop in the entire universe," Hal went on with a smile, struggling to keep Barry down as he fought back. Wally watched them both with wide eyes. "He fights bad guys, saves the day, _and_ makes all the other superheroes look like chumps. He's also not too bad with the ladies."

Wally nodded silently like he was taking all the information in and committing it to memory. Hal paused and ignored Barry biting his hand, eagerly waiting for Wally's opinion.

"I've never heard of him..."

Hal looked utterly heartbroken and Barry couldn't help but laugh. He took the opportunity to throw him off and Hal toppled off the bed with a loud thud. Barry straightened his shirt and tossed a proud smile down to Wally.

"Is he like Supaman and Batman?" Wally asked innocently.

"He knows who Superman and Batman are, but not Green Lantern?" Hal growled at Barry, gritting his teeth dangerously.

"Uh huh," Wally nodded happily and started proudly counting off all the heroes he knew with his fingers. "And Wonner Woman, and Akkaman, and Marsha Manter, aaand Long Man."

Hal shut up and looked at Barry for an explanation. Barry just shrugged with an apologetic grimace, deciding that he'd suffered enough, and whispered, "You're not in the news as much... Most of your fights happen off planet."

"Don't look at me," Hal, it seemed, did not accept the excuse. He stalked back over to the doorway and Barry thought he was going to storm out for a minute until he saw his friend stop and turn back around with his hand poised over the light switch. "This'll even the playing field. Close those blinds."

Barry obediently reached back and shut the curtains. Wally watched Hal curiously – now having the bedspread mostly rumpled up around him.

"I'd like to see that ratty old Flash comforter compete with _this_ ," Hal flicked off the lights and puffed out his chest importantly. The whole room dimmed considerably even with the sunset peeking through the shut blinds and Barry could see Wally surrounded by a strange green light. "It glows in the dark."

It did.

Barry smiled at the glowing, lime green lanterns all over the blanket as Wally lost his mind with pure happiness. The little toddler jumped up and sprinted right at Hal with the comforter still clutched in his hands. He wrapped both arms around Hal's legs, nearly knocking him over, and started absolutely gushing over the present.

"Thank you, Howl!" Wally giggled excitedly, letting Hal give him a brief, startled hug before tearing across the room to throw the blanket onto the bed. "It's so cool!"

Barry got off the bed to let Wally spread out the sheets messily and stared down at them disapprovingly. Hal came up behind him and dropped his chin onto Barry's shoulder, chuckling smugly.

"I'm gonna be his favorite~" Hal whispered tauntingly in a sing-song voice.

Oh _hell_ no!

Barry slammed an elbow right into Hal's gut and plastered a giant smile onto his face before going to help Wally tuck the corners of the sheets under the mattress. Behind him, he heard Hal gasp in surprise and hit the floor again.

It was eventually decided that the Green Lantern bed set would stay. Barry had to grudgingly admit that the Flash blanket would _not_ fit, and yes, it was a nice gesture. Wally spent the rest of the unpacking wrapped up in the comforter, jumping up and down on his bed and asking questions about Green Lantern.

"Can Gween Lantern make a rocket ship with his ring?" Wally asked, thrusting out a fist and pretending to fight imaginary aliens with a rolled up band of tape that Hal had fashioned into a passable ring.

"I've seen him make a whole _fleet_ of rocket ships," Hal laughed, not annoyed in the least by all the questions. His ego was probably getting off on it.

"What's a fleet?" Wally flopped down on the bed and cocked his head to the side curiously.

Hal paused in breaking down cardboard boxes and cleaning up packing paper and trash. He thought about it for a second, "It's like…a lot of rocket ships."

"Oh," Wally said, mollified for the moment.

Barry pulled the drawstrings on a garbage bag and hefted it over his shoulder, "Alright. I don't know about you two, but I'm hungry. As per our agreement, Hal, I will now feed you as payment for helping us move."

"I would have done it for free, buddy," Hal tossed him a wink before leaning towards Wally conspiratorially and shaking his head, mouthing 'no I wouldn't'.

Wally giggled and covered his mouth with both hands. He ducked under the comforter and started crawling around like a bug.

"What do you want?" Barry shook his head fondly. "It's man slave's choice tonight."

Hal discreetly gave him the finger and lifted up the Green Lantern blanket to peek in on Wally, "What do you think, carrot top? You want anything special for dinner?"

"Pizza!" Wally threw the blanket off and used Hal's knee to push himself upright. He grinned up at Barry as if asking for permission and Hal did the same.

"Pizza it is," Barry chuckled. He grabbed two more bags of trash and headed for the stairs. "You two figure out what you want on it."

"Pineapples!" he heard Wally call from the bedroom.

"Negative, Ghostrider," Hal's voice jumped in immediately, getting fainter as Barry reached the first floor. "Pineapples have no place on a pizza. Barry, what have you been teaching this kid?!"

He could hear them hashing out the rest of the toppings and Wally's high-pitched laughter whenever Hal vehemently shot down one of his suggestions. Barry finagled the house phone between his shoulder and jaw and dialed the nearest pizza parlor while he walked the trash out to the street.

"Hi, yeah, I need to order two large pizzas with ham, pepperoni, onions, and extra pineapples on both, please," Barry listed off the weird combo. Pineapples were going to be the very mildest form of the revenge he planned to exact on his best friend. He gave the man over the phone his address and hung up before going back inside.

It was starting to get dark now, so Barry flipped on a few lights in the kitchen and living room. Being in this new house wasn't the same, but he didn't feel the crushing absence of his wife quite so painfully here. He heard Wally's voice chattering away in the room above him and decided to follow it.

"And that's why Green Lantern is the best superhero out there, see?" Hal's voice reasoned from around the corner. Barry mentally gave him the stink eye. He knew exactly what Hal was trying to do: shunt Flash out of Wally's favorite superhero category. Like Barry was ever going to let that happen. If it was a war Hal wanted, then it could most definitely be arranged.

Wally didn't say anything in response to that, and Barry hung back in the stairwell just beside the doorway to listen.

"What's wrong, little man? You okay?" Hal's boasting tone turned concerned. Barry almost sprinted into the room to see what the problem was.

"Gween Lantern is cool, but I really like Flash, but no one has seen him in a long long time," Wally's tiny little voice sounded sad. "No one knows where he is…"

"Oh…" Hal said solemnly. "He's – something really bad happened to him and he's…just taking a break."

"How do you know?" Wally asked.

"Your uncle is a friend of his," Hal fumbled for an explanation. He clearly wasn't used to a child asking 'how' and 'why' every other sentence.

"What happened to him?"

"Just…something bad. It's a secret," Hal sounded like he was very carefully choosing his words. "The Flash is really sad right now and it'll just take some time for him to get better."

"Do you think he's ever coming back?" Wally sounded hopeful.

Barry leaned back against the wall and quietly sank to the floor. He curled his arms around his knees and hunched over in the dark hallway. He hadn't been able to even _look_ at his Flash costume since his wife died. Actually putting it on and going up against the Rogues just felt impossible. His speed was still on the fritz too, cutting out entirely sometimes with no warning. He wasn't ready to return to active duty yet, and no one was pushing him to. Jay Garrick, Clark, and Hal were all picking up shifts protecting Central City so that he didn't feel pressured.

"Definitely," Hal assured him with immediate, absolute confidence. "Green Lantern is cool and all, but _Flash_ is the toughest hero out there. He can bounce back from anything."

Barry looked up in surprise at Hal's words.

"Really?"

"Trust me," Hal sounded more light-hearted now. "Give it a little longer and he'll be kickin butt and takin names better than ever. You believe me, don't you?"

"Yeah!" Wally laughed, and the sound of his cute little voice made Barry smile. He stretched one leg out in front of him and rested his head back against the wall.

Looked like Wally and Hal hadn't given up on him yet. He took Hal's confidence as his own and got to his feet, walking into the room with a smile, "Pizza's on the way. You two wanna pick out a movie to watch?"

"I wanna watch an action movie!" Wally jumped off Hal's lap and streaked out of the room, trampling down the stairs like a herd of elephants.

"I'm gonna be honest with you," Hal got up and followed Wally out of the room, a deadly serious look on his face. "I have no idea if I hooked up the TV and DVD player right."

He hadn't.

Fifteen minutes later, Barry finally managed to fix whatever Hal had broken while he and Wally watched from the couch, 'oohing' and clapping whenever he got something to work. By the time everything was all set up, the pizza was there and Wally was dashing around setting out plates for everyone.

Hal lifted the top on one of the boxes and sent Barry a dirty look like all his suspicions had just been confirmed when he saw all the pineapples, "You bastard…"

"Watch your language, pumpkin," Barry said playfully and pinched Hal's face on his way to the living room. "Can't have you talking like a pilot in front of Wally."

Hal made a face and rubbed his cheek in defeat, "The phrase is 'talk like a sailor'."

"Not with you it isn't," Barry said absently before settling in on one side of the couch and folding his legs under himself. Wally cannonballed onto the middle cushion with a pizza slice the size of his face and scooted all the way back. His ankles barely hung off the edge. Barry bumped him with his elbow and Wally looked up with a wide smile. He crawled over and snuggled into Barry's side.

Hal plopped down on Wally's other side and leaned on the armrest, taking up the remote and pointing it at the TV to play the movie, "Note to you, Bear: I can always be bribed with free food."

"Oh, I already know," Barry said through a mouthful of pizza. "You're not exactly complex."

The beginning movie credits started up with the opening music and Wally suddenly gasped, "Wait! I have to go get Pavlov!"

He handed his pizza to Barry and tore across the living room, disappearing up the stairs. Barry just balanced the plate on his knee and took another bite of pizza, listening to the toddler's footsteps through the ceiling. He was unspeakably grateful for his superspeed, because he had no idea how he would keep up with Wally's energy without it.

Hal had paused the movie and was staring after where Wally vanished with a baffled look on his face, "Pavlov?"

Barry just shrugged like it was normal, "Pavlov is his dog. It's a stuffed animal. He takes it everywhere."

"…What's wrong with that child?" Hal said after a moment and cocked his head to the side.

Barry bristled and hurled a balled up napkin at his head.

"Ah! What?!" Hal hunched his shoulders and ducked out of the way.

"It's adorable!" Barry said firmly.

" _Weird_ is what it is," he shook his head. "Three year olds should name their stuffed animals after colors or their favorite foods, not Russian physiologists."

"He's a smart kid," Barry defended Wally stubbornly. "And he likes science."

"Can he even spell 'science'?" Hal rolled his eyes like he thought Barry was being ridiculous.

Barry kicked Hal in the ribcage and narrowed his eyes, "Can _you_ spell 'science', _Hal_ itosis?"

Wally came jumping down the stairs right as Hal was shrieking, " _I told you not to call me that!_ "

Barry made room for Wally to sit beside him and threw an arm around the redhead. Hal eyed the floppy, stuffed dog clutched in Wally's arms with a look that clearly said he thought it was ridiculous, but instead of making fun of the name, he started to smile a little. Barry just shook his head and decided not to comment on the fact that it was already happening: Wally's cuteness was getting to Hal.

Wally spent most of the movie with his eyes glued to the screen in rapt attention. He shifted around constantly and alternated between curling up on Barry's lap and stretching out with his feet resting on Hal's knee. Hal entertained himself during the movie by picking pineapple chunks off his pizza slices and sneaking them onto Wally's plate when he wasn't looking. Barry just watched the both of them out of the corner of his eye, finding Hal and Wally far more interesting than the action movie. He had quite enough of that in his life already, and he was just grateful that he wasn't alone.

Only an hour into the show, Wally was out like a light. He was sprawled out over both Hal and Barry with his thumb in his mouth and Pavlov stuffed under one arm. Hal had turned down the volume a long time ago so that the gunfire and explosions didn't wake him, and he and Barry had been talking. Hal told him about how the Justice League was doing without him. Apparently, they weren't getting along nearly as well as they did when Barry was there, but things were still going decently. Clark seemed to be the only one that Batman even spoke to outside of League meetings, J'onn was venturing out into human society more and more, and Arthur had met some new Atlantean – but not really Atlantean – woman named Mera who was partnering up with him and trying to convince him to take the throne of Atlantis. Diana was being stalked by some immortal sorceress named Circe for unclear reasons, and the League as a whole was looking into recruiting new members.

"Of course, we wouldn't do anything without your input," Hal assured him, resting one arm on the back of the couch and balancing his foot on the coffee table. "Batman thinks the seven of us should be like a counsel or something if we do decide to induct new members. We all need to be in agreement before we make any moves."

Barry frowned down at the hand he had resting on Wally's back and shrugged, "Well, you can tell them that I'm definitely fine with it. We could always use more help. I mean, we should thoroughly check out anyone we decide to invite first – don't want to accidentally let a villain in – but other than that, it seems like a great idea. Are they looking at anyone specific yet?"

"Some archer from Star City," Hal nodded, rolling his neck to work out the cricks. He seemed ultimately uninterested and a little disappointed. "I'm supposed to be casing him to see if he's League material since we're both 'California girls' – Arthur's words, not mine."

Barry chuckled and rubbed his tired eyes, "I've actually heard of him, I think. Green Arrow, right? You sound like you don't like him."

"Oh, I don't know anything about him," Hal mildly tossed his hands up in a shrug to show that he didn't care. "I just don't know how I feel about letting in people without powers. I kinda think we should be going for big guns."

"Batman doesn't have any powers," Barry pointed out diplomatically. "Look at how effective _he_ is."

"Yeah, but at the end of the day, he's just some guy with a big brain and gadgets. What's he gonna do against a heavy hitter like Bizarro or someone?"

Batman actually probably had about twenty contingency plans for just such a scenario, but Barry decided not to go there. Instead, he smiled playfully and held up both hands, "You're just some guy with a ring. What are you gonna do without fingers?"

Hal narrowed his eyes at Barry in challenge and smirked like a dirty old man, "I'll wear the ring on my-"

"Nevermind!" Barry sighed distastefully, making a face and ignoring Hal's smug laughter. He should have known better…

The DVD title screen looped again for the fiftieth time and Barry looked down at Wally while Hal was still giggling over his own filthiness, "I'll be right back; I'm gonna go tuck Wally in real quick."

"Okay," Hal moved his leg so that Barry could scoop Wally up into his arms.

The toddler immediately latched onto Barry in his sleep and wound both arms around his neck. Barry fought down the surge of adorableness and shifted Wally onto his hip while he carried him upstairs. He brought Wally into his freshly finished bedroom and smiled when he saw the glowing lanterns all over the bed and also the walls. Hal had somehow snuck about twenty or so glow in the dark stickers everywhere.

Surprisingly, Barry didn't get jealous this time. He carefully tucked Wally into bed and stood there in the middle of the room for a moment. The soft green light reaching to every corner reminded him of the energy constructs Hal sometimes created around him when they were in space, or if something was about to hit him.

It sorta looked like Hal had one around the whole room protecting Wally while he slept.

Barry gave his nephew a quick kiss on the forehead and made sure Pavlov was secure in Wally's arms. He sped downstairs with a smile. The television was off and Hal was in the kitchen setting the dishes in the sink and throwing away pizza crusts that Wally wouldn't eat.

He peeked over his shoulder with a playful cringe when he heard Barry zip by, "You saw the stickers?"

"I did," Barry said ominously, pulling out plastic bags for the leftovers. Even if he wasn't mad, it was still fun to make him sweat a little. Hal shrank back and Barry laughed. "And I think you're a dork, but it looks nice."

"Ah _hah!_ " Hal leapt over and hooked an arm around his neck. "I knew you couldn't _really_ resist the lanterns."

"Whatever," Barry lightly smacked him in the face with three bagged pizza slices. "Do me a favor and take some of this with you. I don't want Wally eating too much of this junk."

"You know me," Hal flashed him a grin. "I live on fast food and leftovers."

"I know; your body type doesn't make any sense," Barry snorted.

"High protein diet and a vigorous exercise routine of extraterrestrial brawling," Hal flexed his arms like a body builder and Barry just burst out laughing.

He darted around cleaning up the rest of the mess while Hal watched him and tried to keep up with his eyes, "So, how's Ferris Aircraft been lately? I know it takes you at least half a year to recover from vacations."

"Har har. It's…uh – it's o-okay…" Hal made a series of uncomfortable faces and looked down at his feet quietly.

Barry stopped what he was doing and stared at him shrewdly, "What did you do…?"

Hal didn't answer him.

"Oh no. You slept with Carol, didn't you?" Barry deadpanned.

"I couldn't help it!" Hal whined, flopping face down on the table. His cheek smushed one of his eyes partially closed. "There was a retirement party, and alcohol, and she was wearing a _really_ slinky dress. You know how I am about a nice pair of legs!"

"Yeah. Pathetic," Barry leaned on the counter and fixed him with an exasperated stare. "You and Carol never last more than a few months at the most."

"But we keep coming back to each other," Hal pointed out optimistically. "That's gotta mean something, doesn't it?"

"Yeah – that you're attracted to terrible relationships. You've got the worst track record for girlfriends."

" _Hey_ ," Hal rested his chin in his hand grumpily and stared out the window, rolling his eyes and giving in to an absent smile. "Not everyone has the perfect relationship like you and Iris."

Barry froze and the arms he had crossed over his chest fell limply to his sides. Immediate pain slammed into him and suddenly he couldn't breathe.

Hal's eyes flickered over to him at the movement and it took him a second to realize what he just said. Then, he jerked upright in the chair and stared at Barry in horror, "Oh my God, I can't believe I said that! Barry, I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright," Barry hurried and put on a fake grin to hide his devastated expression, but his voice sounded hollow even to his own ears. "I mess up too sometimes."

Hal didn't seem convinced. He had a tortured, scared look on his face and he was halfway out of his seat, "Barry… I'm _so_ sorry. I really didn't-"

"Really," Barry tried to walk away to get time to compose himself. "It's okay."

"It's not," Hal insisted, reaching out for him, but Barry stepped away. "I-"

"I want to stop talking about this," Barry said almost pleadingly. He pressed a hand to the aching knot in his chest and took several deep breaths. " _Please_."

"Okay. Whatever you want," Hal held out his hands nonthreateningly and took a few steps closer.

"Thanks…" Barry kept breathing deeply. He hunched over and braced one hand on his knee. "Can you – can you go? Please. I'm not angry, I swear, I just – I need you to go. So I can be alone. I'm sorry – really sorry. Just-"

Hal shook his head remorsefully, "It's alright. If you want me to go, I'll leave. Just – you're gonna be okay, right?"

Barry nodded forcefully, but couldn't say anything else.

"I'm really sorry," Hal whispered again, and gripped Barry's arm bracingly for a moment before he backed out of the room. "I'm gonna call you tomorrow to make sure you're okay. Alright?"

Barry covered his face with one hand and tried to control his racing heart. It felt like he was having an anxiety attack. How had this happened in just a few seconds? "I'm sorry that I'm freaking out."

"No. _Geez_ ," Hal sighed stressfully, his voice heavy with guilt. "I – I'll just leave now."

Barry didn't move. He kept his eyes shut and focused on controlling his vibrations. When he removed his hands, Hal was gone and the house was silent. Barry turned off all the lights and mechanically undid the buttons on his shirt as he trudged upstairs. When was this gonna stop? He tossed the shirt into the open bathroom when he passed it and ran his hand over the cotton t-shirt he always wore underneath.

When he passed Wally's room, he ducked his head in to check on him and paused in the doorway when he saw the young child lying awake in the dark. Barry silently moved to the side of the bed and knelt down so that he and Wally were eye to eye. He reached out and smoothed Wally's red hair back tenderly, "What's wrong, kiddo?"

"Scared…" Wally buried his face in Pavlov and stared at Barry with one big green eye.

"Of the new house?" Barry rubbed his back soothingly. "I know it's scary and strange, but nothing's gonna get you in here. I promise. You're safe."

Wally took a deep breath and visibly relaxed a little, "Uncle Bawwy?"

"Yeah?"

"Howl said that you know the Flash," he whispered quietly, the comforter tucked all the way up to his chin.

"Um…kinda. Y'know from him dropping bad guys off at the police station," Barry tried to make Hal's explanation work for him.

"Can you tell him that I know he's sad, but I really wish he would come back?"

Barry's eyebrows pulled together and he felt the knot in his chest grow bigger. He put on a fake smile and nodded, unable to talk. Wally smiled back and snuggled into the blankets before falling back asleep, and Barry tried not to wake him as he snuck out.

 _He_ wanted the Flash to come back, too.

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Hal didn't go back to Coast City for the night. Instead, he flew east towards Rhode Island and Happy Harbor. Hopefully someone was at Mt. Justice, because Hal really didn't want to be alone when he was feeling this much like trash. He totally deserved it, though. God, a Panini press could handle an emotionally fragile person better than _he_ could.

He passed through all of Batman's security to the cave with only minimal cheating – he'd written half of the passwords on a little piece of paper stored in his ring – and quickly found J'onn working on the global surveillance network they were trying to set up.

The Martian already knew he was there, of course, but he was respectful enough of their very human wariness of telepathy to allow Hal the choice to announce himself or not.

"I don't suppose you could help me figure out why I'm such a colossal fuck up, could you?" Hal groaned as he went over to the circular platform that J'onn was standing on. He sat down on the edge and rested his chin in his hand, idly tapping a piece of floating circuitry that J'onn was levitating. It flipped end over end and slowly drifted away.

"What happened?" J'onn asked stoically without moving from his spot. It looked like he wasn't listening, but Hal knew that his aptitude for multitasking far exceeded any human's. Both he and the holographic projectors being installed in the ceiling had J'onn's complete attention. J'onn also probably already knew exactly what had happened from reading Hal's mind, but he politely acted like he didn't.

Hal didn't care either way. Because of his job as a Green Lantern, he was usually more comfortable around aliens than humans anyway. "I forgot that Barry's wife was dead for a few seconds…"

"A forgivable offense…" J'onn lifted ten massive computer terminals up into the matching circular trench carved into the ceiling. A tangle of cords immediately started plugging themselves in and connecting to each other.

"You didn't see his face," Hal sighed in argument, going limp with depression and lying on his back on the floor. "Ugh! How could I forget?!"

"By your own admission, you merely forgot," J'onn actually looked at him with his passive red eyes. "It was an accident."

"An accident I couldn't afford to make," Hal pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "He was doing so well, too… It was a good day and I had to go and ruin it with my big mouth. It's just hard to separate them, y'know? For as long as I've known Barry, he's been with her. It's always been Barry and Iris – and they were perfect together! One without the other just doesn't make any sense… I forgot she was gone."

"It has only been three months. Your mind requires more time than that to adjust years of conditioning," J'onn walked over to where Hal was sprawled out on the ground and he lowered the raised, circular platform into the floor, making it all level again.

Hal made a face at the logic, "Yeah, but I'm supposed to help smooth everything over. For once in our friendship, Barry really needs me and I feel like I'm failing. I don't know what to say to make him feel better."

For a few moments, J'onn was silent like he was thinking about it. Then he smiled and telepathically pulled Hal to his feet, "I believe that ultimately, what you say is unimportant. Flash is the type of person who appreciates gestures and effort. You don't have to be good at comforting him; you just have to be there. He will forgive your mistakes as long as you try."

Hal mulled that over for a bit. J'onn was right. No matter how many times he screwed things up, Hal never quit anything.

He wasn't about to give up on helping his best friend.


	4. Chapter 4

Hal walked up to the front door of Barry's house and had barely raised his fist to knock when it flew open. Barry stepped aside to let Hal in, almost panting and looking like a mess. He turned back around and grabbed a messenger bag off the kitchen counter, slinging it over his shoulder, "Thank you so much for doing this! I'm really sorry it's so last minute, but my Captain called me in for a quintuple homicide."

"Eww, that's intense. Hey, no worries," Hal strolled in easily, standing in one spot so that he wasn't in the way as Barry was darting all over grabbing his wallet and keys. "I'm just glad I was in the area."

"Me too," Barry glanced up and gave him a stressed out smile before dashing into the next room for something else. Hal could hear him rummaging through cabinets. "I guess they're stretched thin tonight, and this is such a high profile case that Captain Frye wants me on it."

"Was it a serial killer?" Hal frowned at the place Barry had disappeared.

"Um, not sure yet," Barry came out and was shrugging on a dark blue coat. He smoothed back his hair and tugged a matching crime unit cap on his head. "Probably not – definitely mass murder, though."

Hal sometimes forgot that major crimes like this happened in Central. The bright, sunny gem cities were definitely not Gotham, but they were still dangerous. He parked himself in a chair and hung his leather flight jacket on the back, "Well, have fun examining dead bodies. Try not to make the other forensic scientists look bad."

Barry only spared him a distracted, half smile before coiling a scarf around his neck with one hand and glancing around the living room with a frown, "Watch out; Wally has the sniffles. I don't think it's anything big, but there are extra boxes of tissues in the garage if he needs them."

"I can handle it," Hal raised an eyebrow at him and leaned back in his seat. "We'll be fine until you get back. Go. Catch some murderers."

"Thank you so much," Barry literally ran out the door, giving one last harried wave before the door shut behind him.

The house was quiet then and Hal could hear his friend's footsteps crunching in the snow outside. He hadn't seen Barry look that stressed out since before Christmas. Just as Hal had feared, being a single dad on top of working full time was a lot for Barry to have on his plate. There were times when it seemed like Barry was a natural, juggling it all flawlessly while Hal looked on in awe. Other times, Barry would forget things because there was so much on his mind, struggle to find time to sleep, and go weeks without a single day off. It had been four months since he'd helped Barry move into the new house, and he'd only actually seen him in person six times since then.

Hopefully, everything would slow down in February.

Hal pushed off from the chair and rummaged around the kitchen for a few seconds, grabbing a small bowl of animal crackers and a juice box. Then he went to find Wally. The little squirt was usually right at the door waiting whenever he knew Hal was coming, so why wasn't he today?

"Wally?" he called, stomping up the stairs in his snow boots. Barry was gonna kill him for tracking water and ice everywhere.

Wally was sitting on the floor in his room surrounded by all different kinds of blocks. His back was to the door and he was just placing a rounded red block on top of a pillar when Hal came in.

"Hey, little guy," Hal put one hand on his hip, balancing the juice and crackers in the crook of his elbow.

Wally looked over his shoulder with a tired, unfocused look and sniffed, "Hi…"

"What kind of greeting is _that_?" Hal sat down beside him cross-legged and placed the bowl of animal crackers between them. He poked the straw into the juice box and drained about half of it in one gulp. "Aren't you excited to see me? I thought I was Uncle Howl."

He expected Wally to get all huffy over him stealing a juice box and throw a block at him, but he just kept staring at his toys listlessly and reached for another toy. Wally sneezed and he curled up a little from the force of it. He sat there looking a little dazed for a few seconds and Hal crawled towards him in concern.

"You alright there, Wally?" He held a hand to Wally's forehead. His skin was _really_ warm. But was it fever warm? What did that feel like? How was he supposed to know for sure? Oh. Duh – a thermometer. Hal looked around for a tissue and held it up to Wally's nose. "You're not looking so good."

"I don't feel good…" Wally mumbled, blowing his nose as hard as he could. He was a pale kid naturally, but his skin was almost ghostly white. Hal tossed the tissue away and hoisted Wally up, frowning at how he immediately dropped his toys like he was dizzy. That wasn't good. He carefully tucked Wally into bed and tried to arrange the pillows so he was sitting sort of upright.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Uncle Barry keeps the thermometer, would you?" Hal smothered his rising panic and tried to act calm and normal.

Wally sneezed again and fixed him with a confused look, "What's a hermoter?"

"Yeah, I didn't think so…" Hal sighed and ruffled Wally's hair. "Hang tight, kid. I'll be right back."

He dashed out of the room and paused when he got to the hallway. Where would Barry keep the thermometer? He'd keep it neat and tidy with the rest of the first aid medical supplies. But where? Where did _he_ keep his own thermometer? Well, he didn't have one, because he wasn't technically a functioning member of society. Alright, where had his mom kept it when he was a boy?

"The bathroom," Hal snapped his fingers with a triumphant grin and sprinted to the upstairs bathroom. He flicked on the light and started rummaging around in the cabinets, closet, and the hidden shelves behind the mirror. Nothing.

He went downstairs next and checked the bathroom beside the garage door. He tore down the top shelf and found a box full of headache medicine, disinfectant, and bandages. There was a small thermometer at the bottom and Hal almost crowed in victory when he found it. He snatched it up and was upstairs giving it to Wally in seconds.

"Keep it under your tongue until it beeps, okay?" Hal sat on the edge of the bed and glanced out the window at the thick blanket of snow covering everything. He hoped Barry's crime scene was indoors, otherwise he was gonna be sick too.

"Otay," Wally mumbled around the thermometer. He was usually such a burning ball of energy that it was alarming to see him so weak. Hal bit his lip and grabbed the worn Flash blanket at the foot of the bed. He wrapped it around Wally and gave the toddler a reassuring smile.

Maybe it was nothing and Wally would be up and running around like his normal self in no time.

The thermometer beeped again and Hal nervously pulled it out of Wally's mouth to read the numbers.

100 degrees.

Shit…

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Barry carefully lifted the bloody knife from the concrete and deposited it in the evidence bag his partner was holding open, "That should do it. I want a few more sweeps of the back door just to be safe, but we should be able to reopen the street soon."

"Five stabbings in broad daylight?" Tony sealed up the bad and they both walked it to the truck. "That's… odd, right? I mean, unless he had a psychotic break or something, who goes swinging a knife around in the middle of the biggest restaurant in Central."

"I've seen weirder," Barry replied vaguely, lifting up the trunk of the black SUV. He tried his best to act like nothing was off, but Tony was right. Five murders, middle of the day, busiest part of the city in the most popular restaurant, for no reason? He'd been fighting the Rogues long enough to spot their handiwork. This was a diversion that had gotten out of hand – drug and pay off a random person to go cause a scene and gather as many police officers as they could while a heist was going on across town.

People didn't usually die during the diversions, but drugs were unpredictable. Accidents happen. Barry glanced sideways at the squad car currently holding the assailant. The man was cuffed and screaming wildly, banging his head against the window over and over. He was definitely on a bad trip.

But, which Rogue was behind it?

Pied Piper wouldn't be this sloppy. He was meticulous and he _didn't_ kill. Barry started removing his gloves and boot covers for evidence while he thought. Heatwave wasn't so subtle. He preferred explosions and setting forest fires for his distractions. Barry tossed his white coveralls in with Tony's and put his coat back on. This time of year, Weather Wizard would be using blizzards, and it wasn't Trickster's style at all.

Mirror Master hated drugs and Captain Boomerang was more likely to arm his pawns with projectiles than knives. So, that left the Top and Captain Cold. Both were plausible. The Top liked to kill his victims directly, though, but it wasn't outside the realm of possibility for him to outsource.

Barry tried to ignore his instincts and the twisting feeling in his gut that urged him to run and check the city over at superspeed. He looked down both sides of the street, past the flashing squad cars and police tape, trying to see if anything was out of the ordinary and hoping it wasn't. Aside from the handful of onlookers at the edges of the perimeter and it seemed quiet.

"How's it look, Allen?"

Barry snapped out of his paranoia and turned around to see two of the squad's best detectives approaching him from the sidewalk.

"Pretty straightforward," he beckoned them closer to do a walkthrough. "Your perp came in from the restaurant's back entrance, through the kitchen and attacked victim number one right here."

They gathered around an overturned table close to the back where the bodies' locations were all numbered with signs. He moved to the second sign the next table over, "Victim number two tried to run, but she took a knife to the back here, staggered a few more steps and collapsed. Then, it looks like your third victim tried to fight back. He had defensive wounds on his forearms where the perp slashed him. He was stabbed twice right here on the floor and he would have exsanguinated within seconds. The fourth victim was slashed on her left shoulder and crashed into this table. She broke her neck on the fall and trapped victim number five under her. Number five sustained one stab wound to the lower right leg and another to the chest."

"Does the restaurant have any cameras?" Detective Broome nodded slowly at the bloody scene like he was running through it all in his head.

"Ten," Barry put his hands on his hips. "Six of which captured footage of the attack. The tapes are on their way to the station."

"Well, that makes things easier," Detective Meritt flashed him a wry smile and tilted her head to the side. "I'm glad the Captain called you in on this. Ninety percent of our job is done for us when you're the one processing the scene, Allen."

Barry was too tired to offer much creative banter in return. He just took the compliment with a shrug and headed for the front doors with a polite nod to them both, "Well, mine's only half done. I need to go catalogue the evidence we gathered. Your perp's in cuffs outside waiting to be interrogated."

Both detectives offered him waves of goodbye and then Barry was out in the freezing cold again. He shoved his hands into his pockets and pulled the scarf out again to wrap it around his neck. Ugh – he was _not_ a winter person; he couldn't wait for the gloom and cold to go away.

Tony was waiting for him to give the okay to transport the evidence, so Barry flashed him a thumbs-up and thumped the side of the car twice with his fist. It took off and Barry lifted his sleeve a little to check his watch. It read 3:38pm. He closed his eyes wearily and groaned. He'd been at this almost four hours. Barry dug out his cell phone and flipped it open to see if Hal had called him while he had it on silent. Hopefully, everything was going smoothly at home. Wally had seemed a little sick this morning and Barry was really crossing his fingers for it to be nothing.

A tiny number eight glowed in the corner of the screen where his message folder was, and Barry sighed as he pressed a few buttons to open it.

That's when he heard the sirens and screams. Tony was just reaching the end of the block with his SUV when a roaring avalanche of ice came ripping down a side street. It crashed into the front end of his car and flipped it through the intersection, freezing over the whole street and crawling up the buildings on the corners.

Barry crouched down behind a squad car and seconds later, Captain Cold came sliding down the icy ramp with the hood of his blue and white jacket thrown back. Another forensic tech knelt beside him and they both watched the Rogue from less than a block away. So, he'd been right; the murders had been a distraction for Cold.

He stepped into the center of the frozen over intersection and threw both blowing blue hands up. A massive tower of ice formed beneath his feet and took him straight up into the air above most of the buildings. A separate ice formation followed him up, carrying twelve bulging, black duffel bags.

Great. He'd robbed a bank.

Cars crashed into each other and the giant ice tower and the sound of screeching brakes filled the air. Barry's legs tensed instantly, but he couldn't move. He needed to help. He needed to help _right now_ , but he couldn't. His muscles refused to budge, but he still wanted to speed over and melt Cold's ice with the heat he generated from friction. Barry just struggled to breathe and agonized over what to do.

For a second, it looked like Captain Cold was about to escape on the rooftops, but instead of fleeing, he created a cloud of deadly sharp ice spikes and hurled them at the direction he'd come from.

An alarmingly long arm stretched into view and grabbed the base of the icy pillar, curling around it and slingshotting a body over. Barry saw Elongated Man hug close to the tower to avoid Captain Cold's barrage of spikes. He shot up the tower like a snake and made a grab for Cold, who leapt from the top and created a slimmer ramp to the street. Ralph just stretched one leg down to the ground and stepped off like it was nothing.

Barry released the breath he was holding – and the death grip on the bumper – and immediately felt like garbage. Why the hell couldn't he get past this? People were in real danger and they needed him to be the Flash. Why did the thought of putting on the uniform send him into a paralyzing panic?

Barry glared down at the slushy asphalt and dug his nails into his palms. Who was he kidding? He knew exactly why – because it was the Flash's fault that Iris was dead. _Flash_ had made her a target, and Barry didn't want anything to do with that persona anymore.

But he still felt the pull to help people. He didn't think that was ever going to go away. Flash may be a failure, but _Barry_ refused to be.

He darted out from behind the police car and made a beeline for Tony's overturned SUV.

" _Barry!_ " Two of his coworkers yelled for him to come back, but he ignored them.

Razor sharp shards of ice pelted the street all around from Ralph's fight with Cold, and Barry did his best to dodge. No one was going near the edge of the battle, but Tony was right in the middle of it. He slid precariously on the ice and almost wished for the friction resistant boots of his costume.

The whole front of the SUV to the rear passenger doors was encased in ice so thick that Barry couldn't see into the car. He crept around to the back and pulled his shoe off to stick on his hand, and then he crouched down and smashed it into the rear windshield until it shattered.

"Tony!" He shouted, knocking out as many shards of glass as he could to clear a safe gap.

Tony was unconscious and nearly upside down, slumped over the gearshift in the front. Barry couldn't tell if he was badly injured or not from this angle. He climbed through the window, absently noting that the evidence they'd collected had spilled out of the case and was scattered all over the headliner. Barry just shoved it all aside and forced his way to the front of the car, ducking under the head rests and folding both of the rear seats down so he had more room.

" _Tony_ ," he knocked Tony's limp arm aside and reached around to take his pulse. His vein throbbed against Barry's fingers and he twitched a little against the seatbelt. Oh good, he was alive.

Barry pulled out his utility knife and sawed through the straps of the seatbelt. He caught Tony around the chest when he dropped free and dragged him back to the rear of the car, wincing when he heard his coworker's knees bumping into things on the way.

Outside, ice shattered with thunderous cracks and the ground shifted beneath the hood. Barry moved faster, kicking out more of the back window. Two police officers had run up to help and were kneeling by the back to help. Barry shifted out of the way and let them both pull Tony free of the wreckage before he crawled out after him.

Tony was starting to come to as they rushed him out and he blinked groggily at the sky, "Watch…out. Captain Cold…just ran that red light…"

Barry exhaled with a relieved laugh and patted Tony's cut up jacket, "Thanks for the heads up, buddy."

They stayed low and hurried to get back behind the police line where an ambulance was still on standby. Barry hung back out of the way and held out his hands while a paramedic examined where shards of glass had pierced through his gloves. He stared after the fight raging on, eyes following every impossible, contorting dodge Ralph made and the solid ice formations Captain Cold hurled around. Their fight spilled down to the next street and moved further and further away.

Despite not wanting to be the Flash anymore, Barry could barely restrain himself from running after them.

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"I don't feel good…" Wally sniffed miserably as he hugged Pavlov, his little eyes swimming with tears.

Hal's heart was in pieces by now. He just rubbed Wally's back soothingly and glanced at his cell phone to see if he'd missed a call from Barry, "I know, little man, I know. But you'll feel better soon, I promise."

He was _not_ going to feel better soon – not unless Hal went out and got some medicine, because there wasn't even a single drop of it in the house.

"I want my Daddy," Wally cried softly.

Hal stiffened up a little and fumbled internally for a second. Shoot. How was he going to explain this? "Uhh…didn't your Uncle Barry explain to you what happened…to him? To _them_?"

"Uncle Bawwy _is_ Daddy," Wally told him with a little bit of crankiness.

"Oh," Hal smiled in brief relief, and then he realized what that meant. _Oh_. Aww… He was already calling Barry 'Daddy'.

"I want him," Wally hiccupped again and Hal clumsily smoothed his hair back to comfort him. "Where's Daddy?"

Why was he so bad at this?

"I'm sorry, Walls," Hal sighed, looking around the room for anything that would make him feel better. "He's still at work."

Wally just cried harder and reached out for him. Hal kept him bundled in a blanket and lifted Wally into his lap, "Shhh. It'll be okay. He'll be home soon."

He really needed to get some medicine in this kid. He could go out and buy some, but he didn't want to leave Wally all alone in the house. The nearest store was only something like ten minutes away though. Hal chewed his lip for a few seconds, trying to decide what to do. He could call someone – Barry always left emergency numbers on the fridge.

Hal rubbed Wally's back and carried him downstairs to the kitchen where the phone numbers were stuck to the fridge with a few colorful alphabet magnets. Who to call… Ralph Dibny, Darryl Frye, the police station, Hal Jordan – _heh_ – Clark Kent, Jay Garrick…

He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed Jay's number. Who better to call when you needed help _right now_ than a speedster? He waited a few seconds for the retired hero to pick up and positioned the phone between his shoulder and ear, "Hi, Jay, this is Hal."

_"Hal. Good to hear from you, son. Everything alright?"_

Hal checked Wally's forehead with the back of his hand again, "Yeah. I just need a small favor if you're up to it."

_"Sure. What do you need?"_

"I'm at Barry's place babysitting Wally for him and the kid's got a bit of a fever," Hal explained, trying to remember all the things his own mom did for him as a child when he was sick. He got one of Wally's sippy cups out of the cabinet and struggled to open it with one hand. Always drink a lot of water so the fever doesn't make you dehydrate. "Is there any way you can come over and watch him for a few minutes while I run to the store to grab him some medicine?"

 _"Of course,"_ Jay said immediately. Man, why couldn't Alan Scott be this helpful for _him_? _"You want me to grab whatever you need and bring it over?"_

"Nah, I can handle that," Hal shook his head. Wally noticed what he was trying to do and held the cup for him in both tiny hands while he removed the lid. Hal smiled at him gratefully and filled the cup with water. "I just need someone to stay here with him while I'm gone."

The line went dead and, four seconds later, Jay was opening the back door with an easy smile. Unsurprisingly, he was just as bad at coming up with plausible excuses as Barry was, "Good thing I was just outside instead of all the way in Keystone. Hahahaha."

Hal rolled his eyes. He was betting that Wally would figure out all their identities by the time he was seven.

Jay took Wally from him and ruffled his hair fondly, "Isn't that uncanny, Wally?"

"What's 'uncandy' mean?" Wally asked innocently, coughing into his shoulder.

" _Exactly!_ " Jay threw his head back and laughed. Wally twisted around in his arms and gave Hal a foggy, confused look.

He just shrugged and mouthed 'I don't know'. He put on his brown flight jacket and shouldered his way out the door into the freezing dusk. The cold was already digging its way through his clothes. "Thanks for helping me out, Jay. I don't want Wally to get sicker waiting for Barry to come home."

"Any time," Jay smiled at him genuinely. "People like me and Barry hardly ever get sick, so we don't usually think about keeping a stock of medicine. I bet 'you know who' was the one who took care of that stuff before."

Iris had taken care of a lot more than just that. Hal wouldn't try to replace her, but he could help relieve some of the burden of her absence.

"Yeah," he nodded absently in agreement with Jay before grinning with sudden determination. "I'll be back in a Flash."

Hal shut the door behind him and powered up his ring for flight. He was going to buy every fucking thing of medicine in the grocery store!

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Barry finished writing up his reports around 7:30 at night. He hadn't gotten the chance to speak to Ralph yet and thank him for patrolling the city; the fight had taken him across town. Barry had gone with Tony in the ambulance and stayed with him while he got his head scanned and cuts stitched up. Thankfully, there wasn't anything seriously wrong with him, and Barry drove him home to make sure he got there safely. It was also partly his excuse to get out of _recollecting_ the evidence from the crime scene since the crash had contaminated a lot of it. Any smart lawyer could get it thrown out in court.

Barry pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the missed calls while he was stopped at a red light. It had been so crazy today that he hadn't remembered to look at his messages after Captain Cold attacked. He wasn't too worried – Hal was actually a pretty great babysitter. He was a terrible influence on Wally though, and he kept trying to bump Barry out of his spot as Wally's favorite hero. He didn't mind as much anymore.

The Flash wasn't high up on his own list.

A tiny number eight glowed beside his missed calls box and Barry sighed. Crap… what had gone wrong? He checked the number – they were all from Hal's cell and the house.

The light changed to green and Barry drove home as fast as he could, coming up with all kinds of insane disaster scenarios.

He pulled into the driveway soon after and didn't even lock the car when he got out – he barely remembered to turn off the engine. Barry opened the unlocked door and immediately tripped over a cluster of grocery bags when he darted in.

Jay was watching him stumble to regain his balance from behind the counter. He calmly ladled some soup from a container into a bowl and gave Barry an amused smile, "That was graceful."

Barry caught himself on a chair and looked around the kitchen in baffled shock, "What the-?"

There were full grocery bags littered all over the floor by the door and surrounding the table like it was an island. Even more bags had been tossed on top of every surface along with small, empty boxes, torn plastic seals, and crumpled up receipts. He picked up one of the bags and peered inside. It was all medicine and pharmacy supplies: children's fever reducer, thermometer covers, vapor rub, nasal spray, nausea relief, cough syrup, mucus reducer.

He slowly looked around at the other twenty bags and his eyebrows rose. They were all full of the same things. "Holy crap. What _is_ all this?"

"Wally's sick," Jay stuck the bowl in the microwave and set the timer. "Poor little tyke."

"Sick, or _dying_?" Barry mused out loud, picking up a severe cold and flu box that looked like it had been torn open with a meat grinder. "How bad is he?"

Wally had only been sniffling when he left.

"Not very," Jay chuckled, stirring the soup and putting the rest of the container in the fridge. "But I don't think Hal's ever had to take care of a sick _anything_ before. He went a little overboard."

"He brought all this?" Barry carefully kicked a path clear to the kitchen. They wouldn't use this much medicine in a whole year. "What are you doing here?"

"Hal asked me to watch Wally while he went to get all this," Jay pulled out the bowl and tested how warm it was with a self-pleased grin. " _Then_ I brought over Joanie's famous chicken noodle soup."

Barry raised an eyebrow at him right as Hal came stomping down the stairs. He walked into the kitchen while frowning down at the thermometer in his hands, "Okay, I just took his temperature. It's 100.7 degrees. That's an increase of .003 degrees since five minutes ago! Should I give him some more medicine?! I'm gonna check again in a few minutes."

"I think he'll live," Jay handed him the bowl of soup and nodded towards Barry to direct his attention.

"Oh, good! You're back. Wally's been asking for you over and over and I was running out of things to tell him," Hal sighed in relief. Then he saw Barry's expression and paused. "What?"

"Hal…too much," Barry gestured to all the bags of medicine and his mouth pulled into a wry smile.

"I didn't know what to get," Hal said defensively and headed back upstairs with the soup. He glanced over his shoulder at Barry and shrugged. "So I bought everything…"

"Dork," Barry snickered. He followed Hal up to Wally's room and found the young redhead coughing pretty hard. Hal had wrapped him up in a blanket like a burrito and plugged in a humidifier, so now the whole room was like a sauna. Barry took a startled breath and could have drowned on all the moisture in the air, "Oh my God, Hal."

"He's cold!" Hal gestured at the Wally burrito. "Look at him; he's shakin like a leaf. _Teeth_ were chattering!"

"That's what fevers do," Barry unplugged the humidifier and shook his head with a smile. "They make you feel cold when you're actually burning up."

"Oh…" Hal's righteous indignation deflated a little and he glanced down at the steaming soup. "So, this soup is probably a bad idea, huh?"

"Are you kidding? That's Joan Garrick's soup – that stuff's magic," Barry joked, turning the fan on low to clear out some of the steam. "Nah, it's too late now. A warm bath would've been better, but we can just sweat it out. He'll be fine."

"Okay," Hal said uncertainly and moved out of the way so Barry could kneel next to the bed.

"Hey, tough guy," Barry rested his elbows on the bed and poked Wally's blanket cocoon.

Wally opened his eyes and they went wide when he looked at Barry, "Hi, Daddy…"

His little, astonished voice froze Barry in place and he watched with a glazed over expression while Wally rolled side to side in an effort to get free of the blanket. He made a few tiny, frustrated noises and Hal just laughed, resting one hand on his hip.

"You're not gonna get out of there. I used to work at Taco Sombrero – my burritos don't fall apart."

"I'm not a breeto," Wally argued.

"You look like one to me…"

Barry almost punched Hal in the back of the knee. Wally had just called him 'daddy' for the first time and he was ruining the beautiful moment!

"I don't wanna turn to a breeto!" Wally cried in alarm, fighting harder now to free his arms. He almost toppled off the bed and Barry caught him with one hand.

"No one's turning into a burrito," he picked Wally up and loosened the blanket so he could sit on the edge of the bed. "Do you think you could eat a little bit for me?"

"What is it?" he asked cautiously, turning his head to the side and looking at the bowl in Hal's hands like he was thinking about it.

"Grandma Joan's chicken noo-"

Barry didn't even get to finish the sentence before Wally perked up and nodded eagerly, "Oh, yes."

He sounded like a little boss approving a particularly appealing budget plan. Barry had to laugh, "You like her soup, huh?"

"Yes," Wally reached for the bowl, and Hal handed it over with a disgruntled but impressed slant to his mouth.

" _I_ couldn't get him to eat," he huffed.

Wally didn't offer any response to that. He just dug in to the soup, clumsily holding the big spoon like a shovel. Barry cradled him close and made sure he didn't spill anything, scrunching up his face and tossing Hal a nervous smile, "So…I don't suppose you'd still want to babysit for me ever again after this?"

Hal narrowed his eyes at Barry and flopped onto the floor cross-legged. He leaned on his knees and gave an exhausted groan, "And give more proof of what a screw up I am? No thank you; I intend to be your _only_ babysitter until Wally turns at least thirty."

"You're not grossed out by sick children with all their snotty noses and infectious tendencies?" Barry asked in a mocking, innocent tone, locking his arms around Wally and keeping the bowl of soup steady.

Hal laughed and shrugged like it was no big deal, "Infectious tendencies? Like what?"

Not two seconds later, Wally sneezed and sprayed Hal with a mixture of soup and snot – right in the face. Barry burst out laughing and started choking as he tried to keep it quiet. Hal just sat there with his eyes and mouth shut, a blank, vaguely horrified look frozen on his face. To his credit, he did a great job fighting down any and all reaction. Barry calmly wiped Wally's nose with a tissue and tossed the rest of the box down to Hal, "Like _that_."

Hal dragged a tissue over his face like a towel and chuckled in faux-calm, good-natured hysteria, " _Oh, that!_ No, not at all. That doesn't bother me – not one bit. Why would it?!"

Barry clapped and shook his head like the performance had deeply moved him, "Wow… What a trooper."

Jay walked into the room then and smiled at the three of them, "I set up your new pharmacy in the garage in case you go looking for anything."

Hal was still violently scrubbing at his face, so Barry let him work, "You're the best, Jay. Thanks for coming over to help, and please tell Joan Wally and I say thank you for the soup."

"Anything to help the little guy feel better," Jay came over and ruffled Wally's hair. Then he gave Barry a pointed look like he was trying to convey something important. "I'm gonna _wander around town_ for a bit before heading back to Keystone, alright?"

"Sure," Barry nodded, feeling another twinge of regret. He was saying that he'd patrol Central before going back home. It was a good idea – especially after Captain Cold's attack that afternoon – but Barry couldn't help feeling guilty. It should be _him_ protecting his city, not Jay picking up his slack.

"You three boys have a good night, now," Jay snapped his fingers and made them into a gun before waving at them all and heading out.

"Night," Hal grumbled back.

Wally yawned widely and pushed the bowl away. Barry looked down at him in concern. There was still a lot of soup left. "You didn't eat much, kiddo."

"I'm tired," Wally's unfocused eyes blinked a few times and he sniffed again.

"Do you promise me you'll eat more in the morning?" Barry raised an eyebrow at him. Wally bobbed his head up and down in a nod, and Barry pulled him into a one-armed hug. He kissed him on the forehead and stood up. "Okay. Get some sleep, then."

"Wait!" Wally grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled Barry back. "I don't wanna sleep here."

"How come?" Barry looked around the bedroom quizzically. Granted, it felt like a jungle in here, but it wasn't too bad. "Where do you wanna sleep?"

Wally looked down at his bare feet and picked at the buttons on his pajamas. Hal was frowning at him too until he seemed to figure it out and glanced up at Barry with a knowing smile. Then it clicked. Barry set the bowl on top of Wally's toy chest and put his hands on his hips with a smile, "How about you sleep in my room with me tonight? Just in case you feel really sick again. You wanna do that?"

Wally nodded.

"C'mere then," Barry scooped him up in both arms and grabbed Pavlov off the bed. He carried Wally across the hall and into his own room where he plopped him down in the middle of the much larger bed. "Okay, get all settled in and I'll be right back. I'm gonna go walk Uncle Hal out."

"No!" Wally crawled to the foot of the bed and clutched Pavlov to his chest.

"What?" Barry looked back at Hal, who was waiting for him in the doorway with a confused expression.

"I want Uncle Howl to stay," Wally said shyly, flipping one of Pavlov's floppy ears up and down.

Hal's arms unfolded in surprise and he just stood there awkwardly, "Uh…"

"Wally, I think he's gotta get home," Barry put a big hand on his shoulder to console him. "Hal did me a big favor and he was here almost half the day."

"Pleeeeease?" Wally looked up at them both with the most intense case of puppy dog eyes that Barry had seen in a long time. The adorable green eyes bored into Barry's soul and it seemed like Hal was getting it even worse. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot for a long minute, and then his shoulders sagged in defeat.

"I can stay," he said eventually, and Wally started glowing with happiness.

The toddler immediately crawled up the bed and chose his spot in the dead center, not even bothering to pull back the covers. He wrapped up in his Flash blankie while Barry and Hal lay down on either side of him.

"Is this weird?" Hal asked half seriously, kicking off his shoes and netting his fingers together over his stomach.

"Well, you're always weird, so I guess so," Barry teased him lightly.

Before Barry could fully stretch out though, Wally rolled over and hugged him around the neck, "I love you, Daddy."

His heart twisted suddenly and he looked over Wally's shoulder at Hal's grinning face. He hugged Wally right back, taking a steadying breath, "I love you too, honey."

Happy with that, Wally grabbed his arm with one hand and went back to his original spot beside Hal. He grabbed Hal's arm with his other hand and hugged both close, sandwiched between them, "Goodnight."

They both told him goodnight and stayed there until he fell asleep, which was remarkably quickly. Barry guessed that Hal must've given him some cough syrup that knocked him out.

"Do you need me to head out?" Hal whispered from Wally's other side, looking awkward about it.

Barry looked over at him and his eyes honed in on how Wally was snuggled into Hal's shoulder. He smiled to himself, feeling beyond lucky to have such a great friend, and shook his head before closing his eyes, "You should stay."

Hal didn't say anything back for a few seconds, and the room was dark and quiet. Then, he heard a muffled 'You're cooking me breakfast in the morning'.


	5. Chapter 5

Barry ducked into the house so he could hear better. He was at Ralph and Sue Dibny's house and they were barbequing outside. He loved Sue like a sister, but good God she had a loud laugh. Barry shut the ornate, sliding glass door behind him and walked into the high-ceilinged living room, holding his cell phone to his ear, "A what arrow?"

 _"A boxing glove arrow,"_ Hal said from the other end of the connection. He was in Star City following the masked vigilante, Green Arrow, again. At first, he hadn't seemed too enthusiastic about the assignment, but now it looked like the archer was starting to genuinely interest him. _"Would it be able to fly?"_

He tried to mentally picture an arrow with a giant boxing glove as the tip, and ended up laughing, "No. It would just nose dive."

" _See, that's what I thought, too! But this guy just took out a freakin car with it,"_ Hal said excitedly. Barry could hear wind rushing by the receiver on Hal's end and figured his friend must be flying. _"I don't think physics works the same way in Star City. I've been tailing this guy on and off for the last couple months and some of the shit I've seen him do is just ridiculous."_

"He's probably a metahuman," Barry paced around the expensive display case coffee table in a loose circle. He was too clumsy to risk breaking anything, and Ralph's house was full of priceless things. Sue was a really talented interior decorator, and she'd spared no expense on her own home.

 _"I don't think so,"_ Hal sounded like he was pretty sure of that. _"I think he's just like Batman – except, y'know, the opposite end of the personality color wheel. Like, this guy smiles and cracks jokes while he's beating people up."_

"Sounds like you two would get along," Barry breathed out with a laugh.

 _"Jury's still out on that one,"_ he said skeptically. _"Anyways, I gotta go. He's heading back south and I'm gonna lose him in the buildings if I'm all the way up here. I just had to tell you about the arrow right quick."_

"You're a dork," Barry smiled indulgently even though he knew Hal couldn't see it. "Go do your job, and please don't piss this guy off and get yourself shot."

_"No promises."_

Barry closed his phone and stuffed it back into his pocket. Sometimes, he really worried about Hal's self-preservation instincts. He went back outside where it was finally warming up. Early April was the perfect mix of balmy temperatures and cooling rain, and he was taking full advantage of it while it lasted. He and Wally had already been to the national park behind their home nearly twenty times this season. He wished Wally was here with him right now, but he was at a birthday party – hopefully having fun.

For a while now, Barry had been getting worried about Wally not socializing well with other kids his age. All his friends had been in Nebraska and he hadn't really made any new ones since he'd been living in Central. Barry had told all his coworkers who had children about his concerns, and Tony immediately invited Wally to his daughter's birthday party. She was a few years older, but young enough for the age gap to not matter.

They were at some fancy new play place in the city with an army of childcare certified attendants watching them. Somehow, though, Barry still wasn't comfortable leaving Wally with strangers – no matter how capable they were. But ever since January, Tony had been insisting that Barry had saved his life and pledged to pay him back for it however he could. Barry wasn't a particularly needy person, so opportunities were slim. Tony jumped on the chance to help him out with Wally right away, thinking he was introducing Wally to possible new friends, _and_ giving Barry a day off from being a dad at the same time.

Barry _loved_ being a dad. He wasn't overly fond of getting a 'day off' from it, but Wally needed some fun. He'd spent most of the winter being sick and getting restless.

Barry stepped back outside to the patio and sat down next to Sue. She was still happily chattering away at Ralph from the exact same spot she'd been in before. "Sorry about that. Hal's like a kid; he's always calling me and telling me about whatever weird stuff just happened to him."

"It's fine," Ralph smiled brightly from the grill. He turned the hotdogs and burgers over and closed the lid. "We know how Hal is."

"What was it this time?" Sue asked eagerly. She treated their exploits like they were from adventure novels.

"Nothing too thrilling," Barry tried not to laugh at how Sue scooted her lawn chair closer and excitedly sipped on a glass of lemonade. Of all the superhero spouses he'd ever known, Sue was the only one who went along with her significant other on his adventures. "He's evaluating a hero for Justice League membership."

At the same time, Sue got even more interested and Ralph's head snapped up in scandalized shock.

"Ooh! Which one?!"

"What?! What about _me_?!"

"Green Arrow," Barry said with a shrug. Even with how much Hal talked about him, Barry didn't know very much about Green Arrow beyond that he was blond, shot arrows, and was 'awesome'. "And I've already pitched you to the League."

"What did they think?" Ralph hopped over in his apron. Unconsciously, his limbs and neck started to stretch out in his eagerness.

"We haven't voted yet."

"But what did they _think_?" Ralph swung his grill tongs around frantically. "Were they impressed? Uninterested? _Amused_? What did _Batman_ say? Does he know I'm a detective as well? Did you tell him about any of the cases I've helped you with?"

"Oh, they were _very_ interested," Barry nodded sagely, trying to ignore Sue's proud gaze at her husband. In truth, he didn't really know how the others had received his presentation on Ralph. Batman had been stoic and enigmatic as usual, Wonder Woman had been criticizing the lack of female nominees, Hal had been napping, and the others hadn't done much else but nod like they were considering it. "They also talked about Plastic Man, but he's a psychopath, so I think you're good."

"How exciting would it be if you got to work with Superman or Batman one day?!" Sue tossed a billion watt smile over at Ralph, and Barry held up both of his hands in betrayed disbelief. What the hell was _he_ then? Neither on them noticed. "When are you voting?"

Barry's expression went blank and he felt his stomach tighten uncomfortably. This time, Ralph and Sue seemed to sense the change in atmosphere right away. "Uhm…when I go back to active duty."

Sue dropped her eyes respectfully and folded her hands together in her lap. When she spoke, her voice was soft and careful, "Do you know when that's going to be yet…?"

He didn't answer right away. He couldn't.

"Not that I mind covering for you _at all_ ," Ralph assured him quickly. "Susie and I like the thought of putting our roots down here for awhile. We're both tired of traveling for the moment, and fighting your Rogues is great exercise. And I want you to take all the time you need. If I lost Susie, I… I don't even know… We just want to know how you're doing. Do you feel like you're okay to fight crime again?"

When he hated himself this much? Not likely…

"Have your powers gone back to normal?" Sue gracefully tried to steer the conversation down a less suffocating path.

"I don't know," Barry said quietly. He leaned back in his seat and stared up at the bright, sunny sky morosely.

"You don't know?" Ralph sounded like he didn't understand. Barry didn't blame him.

He took a deep breath and readied himself for the impending lectures, "I haven't used my speed in three months."

He didn't have to look to know that both Ralph and Sue were probably gaping at him in disbelief and alarm. They shuffled around a bit while Barry silently watched the clouds roll by. Ralph cleared his throat uncertainly, "Barry… your powers are a _huge_ part of you. You can't just ignore them forever."

He could if he tried hard enough.

But that wasn't entirely true. Even if Barry didn't run at superspeed, he still experienced the world around him at a different pace than everyone else. That would never change. It wasn't like he didn't _want_ to stop hating the Flash – he just couldn't find a good enough reason to.

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It was very hard to be inconspicuous when it was broad daylight, in the middle of a _very_ busy city, and he was glowing bright green. Hal had dimmed his ring's light down as much as he could, but a few eagle-eyed people had still pointed him out. Luckily, his quarry had not. Hal was currently hiding on top of a skyscraper, watching Green Arrow free running across a busy plaza.

Hal couldn't tell what he was chasing now, but he could barely keep up by sneaking around. Really, why wasn't Batman on this? He was much better at being a ninja.

Green Arrow cleared the shopping center and ducked into a giant drainage pipe. Hal cursed under his breath and flew after him. He landed on the embankment above the pipe and weighed his options. If he lost him, Batman would have his head, but if he went in after Green Arrow and got discovered, Bats would skin him alive, and then kill him.

He groaned, took a deep breath, and then dropped into the pitch black tunnel. Hal willed his ring to shine like a flashlight and held it out in front of him as he navigated the pipe. He really hoped it didn't split off until he caught up a bit more, cause Hal was _not_ feeling sewer exploring. Thankfully, the tunnel didn't branch off for a long time. Hal got close enough to hear retreating footsteps and quickly went dark again.

He crept along the walkway silently and followed the footsteps around the corner down the right fork. Hal couldn't see anything; it was too risky to glow even a little. He could only hear the trickle of water steadily flowing by below him. Hal made it almost twenty steps before he felt the tip of an arrow press into his chest. His ring automatically flared to life to protect him and it created a shield along the contours of his body, illuminating the area around him.

Green Arrow was less than three feet away, smiling, and pointing a drawn arrow right at him, "Hi."

Hal sighed and resisted the urge to create an equally threatening construct, holding up his hands in surrender, "Uh, hey."

"You've been following me," Green Arrow smiled, and his meticulously trimmed mustache jumped. Hal wondered if he could pull off a mustache and beard. Probably not… He'd ask Barry about it later.

"What makes you think that?" he asked evasively, trying to buy time more than anything else.

"I put a bug on you last month," the archer shrugged, his arm not shaking in the slightest. He was the epitome of cool and collected. Similarly, Hal tried not to move too. He didn't want to give this guy any reason to fire. His ring would definitely hold against a normal arrow, but Hal had been watching Green Arrow for a long time. He carried anything _but_ normal arrows. Who knows what he had in his quiver?

"What?" Hal couldn't help glancing down at his uniform. It appeared and disappeared whenever he took his ring off. Anything that got on the uniform would just fall off when the ring was powered down. Hal loved it. It saved him from all the awkward dry cleaning situations Barry had to deal with. " _Where_?"

"Right there," Green Arrow nodded towards the ring on Hal's right hand.

Hal frowned in confusion for a moment and then abandoned his statue act, bringing his hand up close to his face and lighting up the tunnel more. He squinted at the ring and turned his hand all different angles to try and find it.

There, on the side of the lantern, was a minuscule tracking device.

His brain reeled to figure out what that meant. Hal hardly ever took his ring off, and when he did, it was never further away than his pocket. If Green Arrow had that bug on him for a month…all the things he'd overheard… He knew Hal's name, his job, his whole life. He knew _Barry and Wally's_ names – where they lived… How many times had he mentioned Barry's powers to him in the last month? Immediately, a protective rage flared up and he turned a furious glare onto the archer.

"Bullshit!" Hal cried angrily, smacking the arrow away from his chest and holding his fist out at the vigilante. "How did this bug get here?!"

"Remember last month when that boathouse at the docks exploded?" Green Arrow didn't seem fazed by Hal's outburst. He just took a few measured steps backwards and aimed the arrow at Hal's face this time. "I used the flying debris as a distraction and I shot your ring when you weren't looking."

Hal remembered. He'd been pelted with bits of splintered wood and burning shrapnel. Some of it had hit him even as high up in the air as he'd been. He also remembered shielding his face with an arm, so he hadn't been able to see _everything_ that pelted him. Still, though, for Green Arrow to make a shot like that. He held his ring hand up and raised an eyebrow at the archer, "How did you even hit a target this small?!"

Green Arrow responded by being irritating. A smug little grin found its way onto his face and he laughed, "I'm just that good."

Did he think this was a joke?!

Hal used every ounce of his control to keep himself from creating a lethal construct to bash against this guy's head. He spoke in a deep snarl, "How much did you hear?! One of the people I've seen since then is a child. If you're thinking about using him to get to me, then you're an idiot. I'll make sure you never _leave_ this tunnel!"

"What the – I'm not some supervillain! I'd never hurt a _kid!_ I was just trying to make a point. You can't follow me around for months and then get all mad when I fight back!" Green Arrow lowered his bow and replaced the arrow in his quiver. He smacked Hal on the side of his head and crossed his arms angrily. "What's wrong with you?!"

"Ahh!" Hal rubbed his head, taken off guard. He narrowed his eyes at Green Arrow and felt a little bit of his anger being replaced with confusion. "What's – I – you can't hit me!"

"I just did," Green Arrow looked like he was about to start laughing again. Hal lunged towards him and he backed up quickly, holding out his hands to ward him off. "Okay, okay! Just calm down. Clearly we're not enemies. I know who you are and I could tell from listening in on you that you're watching me for the Justice League."

Hal crossed his arms and stuck out his jaw impetuously.

"You also think I'm awesome."

" _I've changed my mind!"_ Hal ground out shrilly.

"Look, I'm not interested in fighting you, but I don't want to be watched anymore. It makes me nervous," He extended one hand out towards Hal for a handshake. "So, I've got a solution: fight side by side with me and I'll take off that tracer. Everybody wins. You get to observe me from up close, and I get some help taking down a major drug ring."

Hal eyed him suspiciously for a long minute, getting the same feeling that he did whenever Barry outsmarted him, "You set this up, didn't you?"

"Yes I did," Green Arrow smiled broadly, not budging an inch. "Do we have a deal?"

"Yeah, I guess," Hal shook his hand, deflating a little. "What do you need me to do?"

"Beat the ever loving snot out of some drug dealers," he jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the dark pipe extending behind him.

"That's simple enough," Hal relaxed his guard and stared down the tunnel a bit.

" _And_ fun," Green Arrow was barely containing his glee. He selected one of his arrows and fit it against the bow. "I have a big thing against drugs."

"Should I put that on your Justice League application?" Hal asked sarcastically.

"You absolutely should," He laughed loudly, leading the way towards his own orchestrated drug bust. "Now, I only have one requirement; you've gotta destroy every ounce of cocaine we find."

"Okay," Hal agreed easily. He didn't really deal with drugs as a Green Lantern; his specialty was physically defending planets and fighting aliens. Every now and then he dealt with a smuggler trying to sneak contraband onto one of the planets in his sector, but he left Coast City's drug dealers to the police. It wasn't because he didn't care or anything. He just didn't know much about it. "Is there any kind of plan?"

"Well, you're the big gun, so you go in first, do your thing, and I'll work around you," Green Arrow offered good-naturedly. He wasn't territorial or big headed – that was refreshing. "They're right at the end of this tunnel where it converges into a hub."

"That's it?" Hal cocked his head to the side, taken aback. This wasn't going at all like he'd expected it to. "Do you know how many there are? What they're armed with?"

Green Arrow shrugged, "Nothing that we can't handle. Honestly, I don't even know if they're down here right now. I heard about them this morning and thought I'd pop down and check it out."

Hal couldn't accurately respond for a few seconds. He just stared at Green Arrow and puzzled over his blunt honesty and impulsiveness. He was totally insane – his _plan_ was astoundingly stupid. Go in completely blind and just wing it? Stupid.

And yet…

It was exactly the sort of idiotic thing that Hal had done countless times in the past.

A ridiculous grin wormed its way onto his face, and Hal's ring flared up with excitement. He slapped Green Arrow on the shoulder and fixed him with a sly grin, "I like you."

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Barry carried his armful of dishes into the pristine kitchen and set them in the sink. Sue thanked him with a big smile and pulled on a pair of industrial rubber gloves. She started filling the dish tub with water and way too much soap. "Sue, I can do those."

"No you can't," she slapped him away sternly. "You're a guest. Besides, Ralph and I have our rule: if one of us cooks, the other does the dishes."

"Is there anything I _can_ do?" Barry stepped back to give her space.

"Go relax," she replied sunnily, splashing suds everywhere as she scrubbed a plate. With her background as a rich socialite, Barry would not have pegged her as one to like housework, but she seemed to love playing housewife. She and Ralph didn't have a single maid.

"Okay…" he said awkwardly, shuffling back outside where Ralph was covering the grill up with a tarp.

"Sue kick you out?" he asked knowingly.

"Yeah," Barry gave a helpless shrug and stared out at the just setting sun shining over the massive backyard. "She never lets me help."

"No one's allowed to help when she's in her hostess mode," Ralph laughed a little. He finished up quickly and tried to nonchalantly sidle up to him without being obvious. It wasn't an awful attempt, but Barry had gotten used to spotting the signs that someone was about to inquire about 'how he was doing'. "So…this thing with your powers…have you ever thought about going to a therapist about it?"

Barry scrunched up his face in distaste, "I uh don't think they'd be able to help with that particular problem – y'know, secret identity and all."

"Well, just pretend it's something else," Ralph frowned, thinking hard about it. "Like, uh…"

"I think I'd just rather not," Barry tried to politely shut him down. He knew Ralph was only concerned about him and trying to help, but he did _not_ want to talk about it. Hal was the only one who could speak to him without making it feel like he was walking on eggshells. Of course, Hal had made nearly _every_ major mistake in the book, but he treated Barry just like he normally did.

"Okay," Ralph backed off. He scratched the back of his red hair and sighed. "So, no therapist. Got it. What about that Martian Manhunter guy? Isn't he telepathic? You could-"

" _Ralph! Barry!"_ Sue started frantically yelling for them from inside the house. " _Come quick!"_

Temporarily taking a break from heroing or not, Barry's reflexes were still top notch. He was running for the house full tilt and clearing the living room before Ralph even got to the back door. Sue was standing in the middle of the kitchen clutching a sudsy serving dish to her chest. Her eyes were glued to the small TV built into the wall above the counter and she seemed oblivious to the water steadily dripping onto her feet.

"What's wrong?!" Barry followed her gaze with his own eyes and moved a little closer to see the screen better.

It was playing a live news report featuring one of GBS's reporters standing in front of a cluster of fire trucks, SWAT vehicles, and armed officers taking cover behind squad cars and barricades. She was clutching a microphone and alternating between staring at the camera and warily glancing at something to her left, _"For those of you tuning in just now, I am here at the scene of what appears to be a very tense hostage situation. Approximately ten minutes ago, Heat Wave forced his way inside a popular children's arcade, injuring several of the business' employees in the process, and is now holding five-year-old Alicia Collins and all of the building's occupants hostage. Alicia is the daughter of state senator Kimberly Collins. Heat Wave is demanding that Senator Collins pay a ransom of $100,000 for her daughter's safe return. He's given a very unforgiving two hour deadline, and if the money is not delivered in that time frame, he will burn down the building along with everyone inside."_

The camera panned away from the reporter and showed a good shot of the arcade from across the street. The front doors were busted and torn off their hinges, and several half melted cars smoldered in the parking lot. The camera zoomed in on the lettered sign hanging across the front of the building, and Barry's heart leapt into his throat. It read 'Galaxy Zone' – the very same play place that he'd dropped Wally off at hours earlier.

 _"A statement taken from one of the injured workers recovered from the scene by officers numbers the people inside at anywhere from seventy to eighty. At least fifty of those individuals are children under the age of eleven,_ " the reporter's voice accompanied the shot of the building. " _We have yet to identify any of hostages, but several parents of the children inside say that little Alicia was there for a friend's birthday party. We're still waiting for an update on whether or not the ransom is being gathered, but police are already formulating a plan to rescue those trapped inside._ "

"Is that where Wally is right now?" Ralph asked in closed-throat dread. Barry could barely make himself nod in response. His son was in the same building as Heat Wave – being held _hostage_ by Heat Wave – arguably one of the most volatile of the Rogues. Even if the exchange of money took place and everything went perfectly, there was no guarantee that Heat Wave wouldn't torch everyone inside anyway just because he felt like it. He started to imagine Wally crouched into a ball, surrounded by flames, and crying for help as the fire ate its way closer and closer. His mind violently shut out the image to protect itself, but it was too late.

Barry staggered back as his knees buckled, and he clutched his hair. If Wally was hurt…if he _died_ … He was the very center of Barry's universe. If anything happened to his son, Barry knew he would never recover – not from that loss.

Ralph jumped into action, grabbing Barry's shoulder for a brief second before he started to dash out of the kitchen towards the back of the house where he kept his Elongated Man uniform, "Don't worry, Barry! I've got this. Wally's gonna be fine!"

The news report showed a picture of Heat Wave's charred and heavily burnt face beside a mug shot from a previous arrest and his real name – Mick Rory.

Barry glared at Mick's face murderously, and he felt himself preparing the muscles in his legs to run. He wasn't going to let _anything_ happen to his son.

Without a word, he tapped into his forgotten speed and found it ready and waiting for him. Barry zoomed past Ralph like he was standing as immobile as a statue and headed straight to Englewood to his own house. The rings he stored his costume in had been callously stashed deep into a tool chest in the garage. Barry retrieved one and half a second later was pulling on the Flash uniform that he hadn't touched in over six months.

The last time he'd worn it, he'd felt like a pathetic impostor. He'd immediately ripped it off and wanted to destroy it for good. This time, the thought didn't even occur to him. Barry hardly even recognized what it meant that he was wearing the uniform again. He just needed it to conceal his identity while he was beating the living daylights out of Heat Wave.

Barry tore out of his house like a whirlwind and was speeding towards the heart of Central City. He wasn't anything more than a streak of red and a gust of wind to anyone he passed on the streets, but Barry saw everything he passed clear as day. He was in the city within seconds, and at the police barricade soon after. He came to a halt right beside Captain Frye and caught the megaphone that he fumbled in his shock. Barry tried to hand it back, but Darryl wouldn't move. All of the officers that had noticed him were motionless, standing with eyes wide and mouths hanging open.

Barry was used to people looking like they were standing still while he was running, but not when _he_ was stopped.

Captain Frye's arm spasmed a little, but he eventually took the megaphone. The awestruck expression on his face gave way to disbelief, and he leaned back a little like he needed a better look, "Flash…?"

Barry nodded briskly. He had no time to waste explaining why he was back, "Your rescue plan is too risky – we both know how unpredictable Heat Wave can be."

"You have a better idea?" Frye asked without even a hint of bitterness in his voice. He didn't seem to like the idea of his officers and SWAT trying to sneak up on Heat Wave either.

"Leave it to me," Barry told him. "I'll get Heat Wave clear of the area and you can start safely evacuating the building."

"Good luck," Darryl ordered his men to stand down and grabbed Barry's arm before stepping back. "Just so you know, it's damn good to see you again, Flash."

Barry didn't say anything back. He didn't know how to tell him that this was just a onetime thing because Heat Wave was threatening his son, and _no one_ was going to lay a finger on Wally while Barry was alive. He zipped towards the side of the building to the right of the front doors and placed both hands against the concrete wall. His whole body started vibrating, and Barry waited until he was at the right frequency before he stepped through the wall to the other side.

He came out in a far corner of the vast play place, and ducked behind a skee ball machine. All around him, loud music, beeps, game sirens, and the noises from every arcade station went off in a distracting cacophony. It was eerily absent of laughing, hyper children, so Barry crept closer through the machines until he got to the eating area. All the children and supervisors were quietly gathered together there at the tables in front of a stage where an animatronic puppet show played every hour.

Heat Wave was on the stage melting the giant puppets one by one to pass the time. He had the little girl, Alicia, tied up by herself at one end of the stage, but he was stalking back and forth restlessly several feet away. It would be easy to grab him and get him outside so they could fight without risking anyone innocent getting hurt. Plus, Barry had the element of surprise on his side. Heat Wave wouldn't be expecting Flash to be here to stop him – not after how long he'd been gone.

But before he even started this – where was Wally?

Barry stayed hidden and scanned all the tables for his son. His eyes darted from person to person lightning fast and he counted out all the redheads in the room. Only three. He quickly picked out which one was Wally – the smallest child in the middle of the group. Barry could only see the back of his head, but there was no doubt it was him. Wally was sitting very still in sharp contrast to the crying, squirming kids around him. Barry couldn't tell if he was scared or not, but he looked uninjured and that was enough for now.

At the table beside Wally's, a toddler started crying just a bit too loudly and her mother rushed to quiet her along with one of the Galaxy Zone workers.

Heat Wave whirled on them, red hot fissures crackling along his bare arms. His eyes glowed behind his goggles and he hurled a fireball at the ground in front of the stage, "Will you _shut that brat up?!"_

All of the kids screamed in terror, and Barry set his mouth into a grim line and launched himself at the food court. He streaked between the tables and hit Heat Wave in the side with the force of a bus. Mick hit the ground hard and sat there in a daze for a moment, giving Barry time to speed around the small fire in a circle and create a vacuum to extinguish it.

He heard someone yell 'Flash!' from the tables when he came to a stop. Heat Wave looked up in bewilderment at his name, but Barry didn't give him any time to recover. He grabbed the criss-crossing straps over Mick's charred chest and hauled him right through the front doors. Barry vibrated himself through the glass, but Heat Wave took dozens of shards to his face and torso. He rolled to his feet in the parking lot with the line of police officers at his back and faced Barry with a cautious set to his body.

Neither of them moved for a minute, and Barry realized that Heat Wave was waiting for him to make the first move. In the past when he fought the Rogues, he never gave them a chance to act – they were always _reacting_ to his attacks. Heat Wave probably didn't have any idea _what_ he was doing.

"What – no snappy comment today?" Mick set himself on fire and the shards of glass stuck in him melted and dripped down his skin. "You sure you're the Flash? How do I know you're the real deal?"

Barry found himself smirking suddenly. He darted across the parking lot and slammed his fist into Heat Wave's jaw, hooked an arm under his knee, and flipped him onto his face all in less than a heartbeat. Barry rested his hands on his hips and rocked back on his heels, "Still have any doubts?"

Heat Wave gave a great snarl of fury and blasted a ring of fire out from himself in a circle. Barry bent backwards beneath the flames, wincing when he felt the heat searing by overhead. He braced his weight on one knee and directed a funnel of air at Mick by rotating his arms. Barry rocketed after him and dragged him out of city limits, hurling Mick into a roadside billboard once he found a deserted stretch of highway.

The Rogue connected with the sign with a loud 'thwack' and the momentum bent it all the way to the ground. Mick tumbled off into a heap, gasping for air and curled up in a ball. Tiny bits of flame sprouted up here and there on his body like daisies, so Barry graciously stamped them out. Heat Wave half-consciously threw an arc of flames at him that Barry easily side-stepped, "I wouldn't move if I were you. Looks like you've got a few broken bones there."

Mick gasped out something that sounded like 'overkill', and Barry gently nudged his broken leg with the toe of his yellow boot. Mick howled in agony and floundered to get away.

"I don't know how you can talk to me about overkill when you were just threatening to burn down a building full of _children_ ," Barry sighed. He bent down and grabbed a fistful of Heat Wave's straps, hauling the downed villain to his feet. "This is the _minimum_ punishment you get. I know I haven't been gone long enough for you to possibly forget _that_."

Half of Mick's face was swollen and bleeding, and the lenses of his goggles were both busted. He still managed to glare at Barry and wheeze out a few words, "We…hoped you were dead…"

"What – you and the Rogues? Aww, you're not that lucky," Barry laughed at him sympathetically. He punched him in the face once more and Heat Wave went limp in his arms. With practiced ease, Barry hefted Mick onto his shoulders and ran back into town, feeling curiously lighter than he had in what felt like years. He hadn't thought it would be this easy to slip back into the role, but it turned out to be just like riding a bike.

He dropped Heat Wave off at the metacriminal containment division at the riverside police station. Just like at the strip mall, the officers here all gaped at him openly. A few of them even started clapping when he came running in like they'd overheard the chatter on the radio and were expecting him. Barry just shrugged it off, feeling uncomfortable and detached from the whole thing. Not in a million years would he have expected the people of Central City to miss him this much. He gave the booking officers a brief rundown of what happened and made a quick exit the moment he could.

Barry zoomed into an old, closed down coffee shop where he kept a burn bag with spare clothes and emergency supplies in it. He changed out of his costume and scrubbed the peeling skin off his jaw where Heat Wave had burned him a little. His accelerated healing took care of the redness in a matter of seconds and then Barry was hailing a taxi to take him the rest of the way to Galaxy Zone so that he could look like a normal worried parent just arriving.

He spent the ride clutching his head and feeling oddly dizzy – he didn't know what to think about taking down Heat Wave. Somehow, he had the sinking suspicion that he'd just made a huge mistake. He'd gone out as Flash… What now? People would think he was back for good. They'd been _happy_ to see him. Barry didn't know yet what his own opinion was. He hadn't really stopped to think about it when he'd dashed off after Heat Wave. Saving Wally and all those children had been the only thing on his mind, and right not all he cared about was double checking that his son wasn't hurt.

The cab pulled into the tail end of the traffic jam caused by the police road blocks, so Barry handed the driver a fistful of cash and jumped out onto the sidewalk. He sprinted the four blocks at normal human speeds and barely remembered to pretend to be winded when he reached the roped off perimeter. One of the officers on crowd control held out a hand to stop him, but Barry showed him his ID, "My son is in there. Wally West – he's a short little redhead, four years old-"

The officer cut him off and let him through the yellow tape. Barry jogged through the crowd of police, parents, and children looking for Wally. It looked like more ambulances had been called while he was taking care of Heat Wave. There were firemen and paramedics everywhere treating people for shock and bringing a steady stream of hostages out of the building. To his left, a tearful mother was hugging her son. Behind him, an officer was gathering children and attempting to find out their names and phone numbers to contact their guardians. The Galaxy Zone workers were giving statements to the police and gesturing wildly to illustrate as they spoke. A line of reporters and cameramen were crowded up against the yellow tape trying to call people over for quotes and interviews, and snapping photos of the victims. In the past, that would've been Iris – hiding her press badge and sneaking under the line to get her interviews first.

Barry took a deep breath and turned his back on them, searching for a flash of bright orange hair. He found Wally perched on the trunk of a squad car with a dark green blanket draped over his shoulders. Captain Frye was standing next to him and looked like he was explaining how his megaphone worked.

Barry felt relief almost physically knock him over. He ran the rest of the way to them, "Wally!"

Darryl turned around in surprise, and Wally hopped off the back of the cruiser with an impossibly huge smile on his face. He tossed the blanket aside and sprinted towards Barry waving his arms about in frantic excitement, "Daddy! _Daddy!"_

Barry caught him halfway and knelt on the street, hugging him to his chest. He started checking Wally all over for injuries just in case he'd somehow acquired any in the last few minutes, "Are you okay?! Does anything hurt? You're not burned, are you?"

Wally didn't appear to have registered what he was saying at all. He just grabbed the sides of Barry's face in his little hands and kept smiling like he'd just come back from the best day of his life instead of a life-threatening hostage situation. That's when Barry realized that Wally didn't look traumatized _at all_.

Every other child in the area was crying, clinging to an adult in terror, or shaking like a leaf. _Wally_ had dry eyes, the brightest smile Barry had _ever_ seen on his face, and was trembling from pure happiness instead of fear.

He was jumping up and down ecstatically like he needed to be sedated, "Daddy, I saw the Flash! I saw Flash!"

Barry froze in utter shock. _That's_ what he was so beside himself about…?

"He was so cool!" Wally gushed breathlessly, "Flash ran in and-and he punshed the fire man like _pow!"_

He acted out and the fight and nearly fell over when he put all of his weight into one punch. Bewildered, Barry steadied him and kept Wally upright.

"And fire man fell down," Wally said with wide eyes, throwing his arms out wide. "Then Flash turned to a _tornado!_ And he-"

"Okay, okay. _Breathe_ , please," Barry tried to calm him down, watching him warily. Wally took in a giant gulp of air, but kept fidgeting in Barry's arms.

"I was worried that he was in shock," Captain Frye strolled over with an amused look on his face. He gestured at Wally with the megaphone. "But he's just happy as a clam."

Wally looked up at him and then back at Barry, nodding frantically in agreement, "I'm a clam!"

Barry was still too startled to laugh at that.

"I'm under strict orders to ask Flash to sign this party plate the next time I see him," Darryl held up a small Galaxy Zone paper plate that had orange pizza grease still smeared on it. He had the most serious look on his face when he spoke.

"Why…?" Barry was at a loss.

"For a soo _neer!_ " Wally said in an exasperated sort of tone.

Barry stared at him for a moment before he deciphered the word, "A souvenir?"

"Yeah," Wally nodded happily at being understood.

"You want a souvenir from the day that you got attacked by a supervillain?" Barry's eyebrows pulled together in concern.

"No," Wally sighed and rolled his eyes in a very distinctly Hal-like way. "From when I saw Flash. He's back! He's back!"

Barry grew silent and sank the rest of the way to the ground. He felt his heart constrict suddenly and his eyes start burning. The very moment that the first tear fell, Wally's smile faltered and he touched Barry's cheek sadly, "What's wrong, Daddy?"

Barry just took in one broken breath and wrapped his arms around his son, burying his face in Wally's shoulder. Wally didn't fight the embrace. He hugged Barry's neck immediately.

"Daddy…?"

"Nothing's wrong, kiddo," Barry wiped his eyes with his sleeve and gave Wally a watery smile. He'd been looking for a reason to stop hating himself for so long, and here it was right in front of him. Wally had never hated Flash at all. He'd missed him and was elated to see him fighting crime again. "I'm happy."

Wally's worried expression transformed into a smile with a gasp and he jumped up and down again, "You're happy Flash is back, too?!"

Barry laughed at his enthusiasm and nodded back, "I am."

"Can we paint my room red?"

"Sure."

"With lightning bolts!"

"Whatever you want."

"I want seven lightning bolts!"

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"And _then_ , I went to shoot the guy's feet, and my damn _bowstring_ was broken!"

Hal cracked up laughing and took a drink from his beer, "What happened after that?"

"I got the tar kicked out of me," Green Arrow said like it was obvious. He rolled up his left sleeve and showed Hal a thin line of discolored skin on his bicep. "That's how I got this one. Five staples. I couldn't pull a bowstring for a solid _week_."

"Pfft," Hal snorted at him. "That's nothing. First day of Lantern training, Kilowog hit me so hard in the head that I was out for three days. I still can't remember most of what happened."

Green Arrow tipped back his own bottle of beer and sniggered in response, "What's a Kilowog?"

"Big scary alien," Hal raised both his eyebrows to demonstrate how scary. "But he's a good guy. Taught me everything I know."

"Well, he did a damn good job," the archer held out his bottle to Hal and nodded. "That was a mean fight down in those sewers, and you kicked some serious ass."

"You weren't too bad yourself," Hal clinked his bottle against Green Arrow's. They'd wrapped up the drug bust fairly quickly and had gone to grab a drink afterwards. He guessed that they must look pretty strange sitting in the middle of a Star City bar in full costume and chatting it up like old buddies – if the wide eyed looks they were getting from the other bar patrons were anything to go by. "I wasn't expecting them to have bombs, though…"

"Me neither," Green Arrow glanced down at his singed tunic and shrugged. "But that's the fun of it, right? The unexpected. I'm surprised you went along with me, honestly."

"Well, I kind of have a reputation for being fearless," Hal gave him a pleased smile and brought his bottle up to his lips. Then he paused a little when he heard Barry's voice in his head and had to admit, "And stupid…"

Green Arrow laughed loudly and downed the rest of his drink in one gulp. He was definitely okay in Hal's book. Hopefully the rest of the Justice League liked him, because Green Arrow would be a really great addition.

A flicker of red in the corner of his eye caught Hal's attention and he glanced up at the big screen TV behind the bar. It was tuned to GBS and broadcasting a news report from Central City. Hal watched the blond reporter speak with the volume muted for a few seconds, and then it cut to a clip of a strip mall and dozens of police with their guns trained on the building. The clip showed a figure bursting through the glass doors of the building and tumbling across the parking lot. Then, a red blur that Hal had seen countless times, streaked after him. The screen cut back to a news anchor, and Hal nearly fell over in his rush to reach over the bar and point at the TV, "Whoa! Hey, can you turn that up?!"

"Y-Yes, sir," the bartender stammered, just about jumping out of his skin while he fumbled with the remote.

_"-Wave is now in custody pending a trial, but that's not the big news of the day. The incident at Galaxy Zone is the first marked appearance of the Flash in over half a year. Central City is no doubt relieved to see their beloved Scarlet Speedster on patrol again, and I for one hope he's here to stay. The Flash didn't stick around to answer questions about his sudden return after handing Heat Wave over to the authorities an hour ago, so we can only speculate as to what brought him to put on the red and yellow once more. The only thing we know for certain is that he hasn't lost his touch since he's been gone."_

"Oh my God…" Hal whispered to himself. Barry had gone out as the Flash. He'd put on the costume again.

"What – you know him?" Green Arrow glanced between Hal and the screen blankly, at a loss.

"He's my best friend," Hal answered automatically, still not taking his eyes off the television. The report played the clip of Flash tearing off camera at the speed of sound with Heat Wave under his arm.

" _Oh_ ," Green Arrow straightened up in his seat, surprised. "Then…you know where he's been all this time. Wow…half a year… He's been gone a long time."

"Yes, he has." A wide smile nearly split Hal's face in two and he made a beeline for the door, only stopping to look over his shoulder and toss Green Arrow a short wave. "Sorry, Robin Hood, I've gotta run. Catch ya later!"

"You know where to find me," Green Arrow didn't seem upset at all. He just ordered a round for the whole bar and returned the wave.

Hal took flight the second he got outside, lifting into the air and heading east as fast as his ring would take him. He pulled his cell phone out of the ring's pocket dimension and dialed Barry's number, "Come on….pick up, pick up."

 _"Hello?"_ Barry's voice asked over the line.

"Are you by yourself?" Hal asked immediately, not bothering with saying 'hi' back.

 _"I'm alone in the room…but Wally's upstairs,"_ Barry said uncertainly.

"Holy shit, Bear!" Hal yelled into the phone so he could be heard above the roar of the wind. "You couldn't even give me a call to let me know you were about to make your big, badass comeback? What's that about?! I wanted to be there!"

He heard Barry give a weird sort of laugh on the other end, _"Sorry; it just…happened."_

"Did you just laugh?" he frowned in surprise. He could actually _hear_ a lightness in his best friend's voice. "Are you smiling right now? You totally are, aren't you?!"

This time, Barry laughed sort of sheepishly, _"Maybe."_

"I can't believe it!" Hal grinned at the darkening sky. "What changed your mind?"

_"Wally was in trouble."_

His good mood took a sudden dive, and Hal panicked for a second, "What?!"

 _"He's fine. It's all fine,"_ Barry reassured him quickly. _"It's just…I didn't think twice, y'know. He was in trouble, so I put on the uniform and went to go save him."_

"This is so great!" Hal did a barrel roll in midair, pumping his fist excitedly. Then he remembered the news report. "Wait. You're back for good, right? This was the turning point, wasn't it? You're gonna be Flash again?"

 _"I'm already Flash again,_ " Barry answered right away. Hal didn't think his smile could get any bigger. _"Oh, hold on. Ralph's trying to ask me something."_

"Wait, Ralph's there? Why is Ralph there but _I'm_ not? I thought you said it was just you and Wally," Hal frowned at the phone as if that would make Barry able to see it. "Unacceptable."

_"Ralph knows my identity. I assumed that you asked if I was by myself in case Wally was close enough to overhear."_

"Unacceptable."

_"Don't be like that. I was at Ralph's earlier when I ran off. He and Sue wanted to make sure everything was okay."_

"Negative, Speedster. I'm on my way right now and you had better not be all celebrated out by the time I get there, cause this party's going to go on all the way into next _week_ ," Hal snapped the phone shut and focused on breaking his record for how fast he could make it to Missouri.

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"Okay, but Wally's bedtime is eight o clock," Barry said right as he heard the dial tone signaling that Hal had hung up on him. He shook his head with a smile and hung up the land line phone.

"Daddy! I can't reach the stickers!"

Wally was yelling for him from upstairs. He'd already begun planning the remodel of his bedroom. The plans already included red walls, lightning bolt stickers, a Flash cardboard cutout, a swimming pool, and a 'real live dinosaur'. Barry didn't have the heart to squash his dreams about the last two just yet.

"You're taking down the Green Lantern stickers?" Barry cringed as he made his way up the stairs. Hal was gonna throw a fit over that. His cell phone vibrated in his pocket suddenly.

"Flash is cooler!"

Ooh, Hal was definitely going to have a seizure. Barry smiled, pulling out his phone to check it. Someone had sent him a new message. He clicked on it and two words popped up on the screen.

'Welcome back.' – B

Barry smiled at the text for a few seconds before replacing the phone in his pocket and whispering under his breath, "Thanks, Bats…"

He was going to have to stop by Mt. Justice tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

Hal leaned against the wall beside the front gates of Central Elementary School. He had his hands shoved in the pockets of his leather flight jacket and was looking out at the front grounds from behind aviator shades. Coast City was nice and all, but Central City was ridiculously pretty this time of year. The leaves were all turning yellow and red; it was somehow both perfectly cool _and_ warm at the same time, and the whole city was bathed in golden sunshine _all the time_. He almost wanted to relocate here permanently, but Carol would probably kill him if he tried to leave Ferris Aircraft.

They weren't together anymore – Hal was pretty sure that ship had finally sailed for good this time. From the very first moment they'd met, it had been nothing but on again and off again for years. It was actually relieving to be done and over with it. When things had been good, they were great, but when they weren't, the fights lasted for _weeks_.

Hal was swearing off girlfriends for awhile.

Of course, that didn't stop him from being a smooth, lady killer. Green Arrow had spotted a pretty thing up in Star City that had caught his eye and he was constantly calling up Hal to ask him for advice on how to woo her. It had been two years since they'd met, and he and Oliver had been on a first name basis for a long time.

They'd hit it off spectacularly well, and within months Oliver was invited to join the Justice League. They were good friends now, and when Hal was good friends with someone, he had no trouble telling them to shut the hell up about whatever bombshell blonde with a voice like a 'thousand screeching angels' was running around Star City kicking more ass than him.

Thankfully, he had Central City to escape to when California got just a bit too crowded.

Hal took a deep breath of crisp, early autumn air, and rolled his head over to look at the street. School was almost out, and there was a long line of buses on one side of the street and moms waiting to pick up their kids on the other.

The moms didn't like him.

Hal could tell because every driver side window on every minivan was rolled down, and for some reason the women thought that if they had sunglasses on he couldn't tell that their faces were pointed directly at him. He just pulled his flight jacket tighter and tried to keep acting clueless. They probably thought he was a pedophile lurking around waiting to snatch some kid.

The bell needed to hurry up and ring already, because Hal didn't want to deal with one of these women deciding to call the cops on him. He kind of wished that Barry had written a note for him.

'I, Barry Allen, give Hal Jordan permission to pick my son up from school. He's irresponsible, and kind of a manchild, but totally _not_ a child molester.'

Hal chuckled to himself. Yeah, that was pretty much word for word what he would write.

He shifted his weight back and forth between each foot, getting more restless as the minutes dragged on. Finally, it hit 1:30, and the release bell went off. Hal sighed in relief and stayed out of the way while the fourth and fifth graders came tearing out in a mad stampede. Then, the younger grades let out, and last the preschoolers and kindergarteners plodded out.

Hal grinned and pushed off from the wall when he spotted Wally's mop of red hair sticking out from the crowd. He was bouncing down the front steps and chattering away with another boy his age.

Hal walked toward him and stopped at the end of the sidewalk, waiting to be noticed. Wally waved goodbye when his little friend found his mom, and looked up to search for the bus. Hal just stayed perfectly still and watched Wally's mouth form a perfect 'O' when he recognized who it was.

His face broke out into a giant smile and he sprinted right for Hal, his glaringly red Flash backpack jumping with every step he took, " _Uncle Hal!_ "

Hal laughed when Wally leapt at him and grabbed onto his arm, swinging on it like a monkey. He lifted his arm up and let Wally dangle a few feet off the ground, "Hey, little man."

"What are you doing here?" Wally let go and dropped to his feet, hugging Hal around the hips.

"I thought you'd like to skip the bus today and hang out with your coolest uncle," Hal scooped him up and stuffed Wally under his arm like a basketball. The six year old giggled like mad and started squirming to get free. Hal laughed and let him down after a minute. "Your dad isn't going to be home till late tonight, so it's just me and you."

For a second, Wally looked a little crestfallen, but he shook it off quickly. He was doing really well dealing with Barry's sudden absences. Of course, he didn't know that his dad was off fighting crime as the Flash during those short absences. The separation anxiety hadn't been nearly as bad, though. Hal was pretty sure that Wally could tell that Barry was _much_ happier now even if he didn't know the whole reason why. The last two years had done wonders for him – Barry was almost back to his old self.

"Hey," Hal knelt down and squeezed Wally's shoulder. "Your dad wanted me to take you straight home, but what do you say we go grab some ice cream first?"

Wally instantly perked up, "Yeah!"

"Alright, let's go," Hal picked up Wally's Flash book bag by the top handle and slung it over his shoulder. He took Wally's hand and led him across the street towards the closest ice cream parlor. "So, how do you like kindergarten so far?"

"I like it!" Wally skipped along beside Hal's long strides. "I wrote the alphabet today and I stayed in the lines! Tina didn't even do that good."

"Who's Tina?" Hal asked.

"A girl in my class," Wally said somewhat bitterly.

"Do you _like_ her?" he grinned slyly down at the redhead.

Wally made an exaggerated choking sound and stuck out his tongue in disgust, "Eww, no! Girls are gross! And Tina's mean. She pushes me a lot."

Hal laughed, and Wally shot him a dirty look, "That means _she_ likes _you_."

"What…?" he scrunched up his face in confusion.

"If a girl picks on you, it means she likes you," Hal nudged him with his elbow. "No idea _why_ , but it does."

"That's stupid…" Wally concluded, mystified.

"Yes it is," Hal nodded sagely. "What else did you do today?"

"I learned to count to two hundred," All thoughts of Tina were suddenly gone, and Wally had a megawatt smile on his face again. "Do you wanna see?"

" _Two_ hundred?" Hal said, impressed. "You had _better_ show me. That's awesome."

Wally happily recited the numbers as they walked, swinging Hal's arm back and forth all the way. When he finished, Hal whistled and ruffled his hair, "Wow, you did such a good job. I'm proud of you. But, you know what?"

"What?"

"I bet you can count higher," Hal said innocently, careful to keep his expression neutral as he baited Wally into the challenge.

He looked unsure for a moment as he thought about it, "We haven't learned that yet…"

"Yeah, but you're really smart. You can do it. Try and figure it out – I'll help you," Hal coached him with an encouraging smile. "What comes after two hundred?"

Wally hesitated for a second, and then looked up unsurely, "201?"

Hal nodded easily, "And after that?"

"202…203…" Wally said slowly, a smile spreading across his face as he gained confidence. "204,205,206-"

He picked it up quickly and rolled with it, puzzling out a few numbers, making a mistake, fixing it, and then powering on again. By the time they reached the ice cream parlor, Wally was working on six hundred. Hal stopped him when they got inside, and curled an arm around his shoulders to pull him flush against his side, "Alright, alright, give it a rest you little genius. I think you've earned your ice cream twenty times over. Go pick out what you want."

"Whatever I want?" Wally hugged him back, grinning like a fool. He ran up to the counter and started looking at all the flavors, pressing his hands against the glass and standing on his toes.

"As long as it's not bigger than your head," Hal shut the door behind him and looked around the little mom and pop store. There were a few tables, and ten stools at the counter. One of the tables was occupied by four women that looked up when they came in, but it was otherwise empty. "Barry will kill me if you make yourself sick."

He would at least threaten Hal with violence. The last time he overloaded Wally with sugar, Barry had gotten crazy eyes and cracked Hal across the jaw. That was the good _and_ bad thing about having a best friend; you could beat the hell out of each other and still be thick as thieves.

Wally chose a strawberry cone and Hal got a milkshake. They took the table next to the giggling ladies and relaxed. Hal rested his arm on the back of his chair and hooked one leg over the other. Wally scooted his seat as close as physically possible to Hal's, and mimicked the pose. Hal resisted the urge to have a hysterical fit over the cuteness and played it cool – only sneaking Wally a goofy grin and curling his arm around his tiny shoulders.

"What did _you_ do today?" Wally asked in a _very_ good imitation of Barry's haughty, mocking inflection when he was accusing Hal of lazing around like a sloth. To be fair, though, Hal did an excellent impression of a sloth.

Hal decided to throw down the accomplishment gauntlet, "Flight tested a new fighter jet in a dogfight against four of the Air Force's best pilots."

"Did you beat them?" Wally asked with big eyes.

"Oh-ho. I _embarrassed_ them," he chuckled, preening the feathers of his ego, holding up one hand. Wally reached up and slapped him a high-five, and then dug around in his backpack with one hand.

He pulled out a thick sheet of orange construction paper and smacked it down on the table with answering cockiness, " _I_ drew a picture of a llama."

Hal picked up the picture and inspected it with a raised eyebrow like he was appraising an art piece in a museum, "You're right; yours is better."

Wally beamed, going back to his ice cream with his head held high.

"Can I have this?" Hal nodded towards the paper, thinking about all of Wally's artwork that he had stuck to his fridge back at his loft in Coast City. He would have to get a folder or something, because he was running out of fridge space.

"That one's for Daddy," Wally leaned closer and whispered like it was supposed to be obvious. He fished out a second picture and gave it to him instead. "I made _you_ a shark."

Hal swapped out the pictures and smiled at the new one, "Ah, well, that makes sense because sharks are better. Why's it wearing sunglasses?"

"Because he's a _flying_ shark," Wally managed to get ice cream on his nose. "They keep wind out of his eyes."

"Appropriate," Hal agreed, wiping Wally's nose with a napkin.

Behind them, all the talking had stopped, and Hal glanced over to see the young women all smiling at him adoringly. Hal frowned in confusion, and then the furthest brunette giggled, "Sorry. Your son is just so cute."

The other three all laughed and expressed their vehement agreement. Hal cocked his head blankly and looked sideways at Wally out of the corner of his eyes. They thought Wally was his son…

He mentally tallied up the collective attractiveness of the four women and grinned. Eights and nines all around. Why hadn't he noticed them when he first walked in? Hmm… he'd never used a kindergartener before to pick up women, but what the hell? It was worth a shot.

"Thanks," Hal put on a charming, sheepish act and smiled at them. "I don't know where all that cute came from, cause it sure wasn't from me."

The women all gasped playfully and rushed to assure him that it was.

"What? No, you're so alike!"

"I think more came from you than you think."

"Oh gosh, look! They have the same nose!"

They all let out high-pitched 'awws!' and giggled amongst themselves. Hal played along and laughed with them. Wally was looking at him with a weird expression – like he thought Hal had lost his mind. Hal leaned in close to him and muttered quietly, "If you act as adorable as possible, there'll be another ice cream in it for you."

Wally considered the offer for a second, and flashed Hal an alarmingly deviant grin for a second. He turned to the closest blonde and gave her a dimple-filled smile, "You're pretty…"

She placed her hand over her heart and looked back at her friends like she was about to melt, "Oh my goodness. He is the _sweetest_ little thing!"

Wally suddenly acted embarrassed and shyly hid his face in the sleeve of Hal's jacket.

"Can I take him home and keep him forever?" the brunette gushed. The other three all nodded and laughed.

Hal turned up the charm, resting a hand on Wally's back and tossing a suave wink at the ladies, "Well, we're kind of a package deal, y'know."

 _That_ sent them off into another fit of giggles, and one of them flirted back, " _I_ wouldn't mind."

Twenty-five minutes later, Wally had a double fudge sundae, and Hal had four phone numbers.

He eyed the digits when they got back to Barry's house, and stuffed them into his pocket, "Wally, this was a mission accomplished. I'm gonna need to get you your wings, cause you're a better wingman than half my friends."

"I have an advantage," Wally smiled impishly.

"I worry sometimes that I'm teaching you bad things," Hal chewed his lip and really studied Wally for a minute. "But I think you've got alike a natural affinity for mischief, and I can't help but feel compelled to nurture it."

"Daddy says that I'm at an impressionable age, and that you do lasting behavioral damage," Wally said immediately.

"Those are some big words…" Hal narrowed his eyes at Wally suspiciously. "Who was he talking to when he said it?"

"Grandpa Jay."

Ugh. Speedsters…

"That figures. Go upstairs and play," Hal gestured upwards lazily. "I'll be down here wallowing in betrayal if you need me."

"Okay!" Wally was unconcerned. He skipped upstairs and out of view almost immediately.

Hal trudged over to the couch and flopped down on it bonelessly, knocking something off the end table with a muffled thud. He groaned and stretched to pick it up blindly, bringing it up to his face. It was a thick book on learning how to speak Greek. Hal turned onto his back and flipped through a few pages, frowning at the unfamiliar letters. He idly wondered how long it took Barry to read the book – probably less than four seconds.

There was a whole stack of books on the coffee table, and Hal pushed a few around to read the titles. There was an English-Greek dictionary, a few other self-teaching manuals, and the next two volumes to the one in Hal's hands. It had probably only taken Barry an hour to become fluent in the language. But, what was he learning it for in the first place?

He set down the book and picked up the laptop from the table instead. Barry had made Hal his own account on the computer since was over four days out of the week, but Hal liked to 'hack' into Barry's account instead. Honestly, his idea of a secure pass code was crap. He typed in the password: 'iriswally56' and tapped the enter key, expecting the desktop to load. The text bar reset and an incorrect password notice popped up.

Hal 'hmm'd' and tapped his fingers on the laptop impatiently. Well, shoot; he'd changed the password. That was weird. It had been 'iriswally56' for like a year and a half. He leaned back and crossed his arms, balancing the laptop on his knees while he thought about what the new password could be. Barry was sentimental, but simple. His passwords were always the names of family members. Maybe it was his mother's name. Hal typed in 'noraallen56' and got another incorrect password notice. He chewed at his lip and tried a few other ideas until the computer took pity on him and asked if he wanted a hint.

He clicked 'yes' and a dialogue box popped up that read: 'lantern'. Hal frowned at it, perplexed, trying to figure out what it meant until a tentative idea came to him. Very slowly, he typed it in one key at a time and paused for a few seconds before hitting enter.

'iriswallyhal56'

The computer unlocked and opened to the internet tabs that Barry had left open when he shut the lid.

A weird feeling prickled at Hal's insides and he frowned at the screen for a long minute in total silence. Barry had changed the password to include Hal's name? He scratched the back of his head distractedly. How long had that been the password? He tried to think back to the last time he used the laptop, but couldn't remember. Why would he change it to _that_? Hal continued to obsess over the change mentally for awhile until he registered what was on the screen in front of his face.

All of the tabs were open to web pages on ancient Greek mythology. Oh, that's right. Barry was helping Diana with something over in Athens. Duh. That's why he learned how to speak Greek.

Hal's attention was pulled from the laptop when he heard footsteps coming down the staircase. When he looked up, he found Wally plodding along into the kitchen wearing something dark green and _way_ too big for him. Hal frowned and shut the laptop, rolling onto his feet and following him into the kitchen, "Everything okay, Wally?"

"Yeah," he heard Wally open the fridge and when he rounded the corner, he saw the kid reaching high up on the door for a juice box. He got what he wanted and shut the door triumphantly, turning around to give Hal a big smile.

Hal almost started laughing so hard that he asphyxiated. Wally had gotten into Barry's closet and was wearing one of his sweater vests. The sleeveless arm holes sagged to Wally's elbows and the hem came down to his knees. "What are you doing?"

"Getting juice," Wally stuck out his tongue in concentration while he poked the straw into the box.

"I meant why are you wearing your dad's clothes?" Hal shook his head in amusement. Wally had a necktie knotted around his waist, clearly because he had no idea what it was for but knew that Barry wore one all the time.

"I can count to six hundred now, so I'm a big boy, so I have to wear big boy clothes," Wally explained very seriously in six year old logic. Hal crouched down to Wally's level and poked the sweater vest.

"Yes, but you don't want to dress like your dad," Hal tried to hold back his snickering. "He has no fashion sense."

Wally looked down at the tie around his waist and examined it closely like he agreed that it was odd but didn't want to say anything.

Hal suddenly had a great idea. He grinned mischievously and jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the door, "How about you and I go out and get you some _real_ big boy clothes?"

Wally pulled off the sweater vest and nodded eagerly, "Yeah!"

"Go get your shoes on," Hal ruffled his hair and jumped up as well. Wally disappeared into the next room and Hal cackled to himself.

Barry was going to be so _mad!_

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"Wow, so… I never thought I'd ever have a _god_ hate me…" Barry was running across the Aegean Sea, keeping pace with Diana who was flying beside him in full costume.

"Don't take it personally," she smiled against the wind, arms extended out in front of her. "Hermes is the fastest of the gods, and you're faster than _him_. He's just jealous. He watches you from Mount Olympus often."

A horrible shiver ran up Barry's spine, and his eye twitched, "That…actually sounds extremely personal."

"If it bothers you-"

"It disturbs me."

"-I have bands that will blind the gods to your presence," Diana smiled at his discomfort. Barry imagined that she was well used to the omniscience of the gods. "I never use them. My armor already has the same enchantments."

"I would owe you a hundred favors," Barry was imagining Hermes perched up on a cloud somewhere stalking him from above.

"How about we call it even for assisting me today?" Diana offered good-naturedly. "I feel guilty for pulling you away from your son, but no one else was available to help."

"No worries," Barry leapt over a cresting wave and focused on keeping his speed slow enough for Diane to match. "Hal's watching him right now, and tomorrow's Saturday, so we'll have all day."

"I would have asked Hal, but… dealing with the gods is delicate work," Diana was trying to phrase it as nicely as possible, and it made Barry smile on the inside. "I feared what he would say if challenged."

Barry could easily imagine Hal getting himself into a fight to the death with Ares or something equally stupid. He had a tendency to say _exactly_ what he was thinking, no matter how ill timed. Strangely though, the idea made him feel a rush of fondness for Hal. "Good call."

"Does he still visit Central City often?" Diana asked curiously.

"He's there nearly the whole week," Barry gave a short laugh. "Either babysitting Wally for me or just checking to see how we're doing. He's left so much stuff at the house that you could probably say that he lives there now."

"I wouldn't have thought it when we first met, but Hal _is_ a very good friend," she looked down at Barry with a small smile that said she felt bad for passing pre-emptive judgment on someone who didn't deserve it.

"I honestly don't know how I would've made it through everything that's happened without him," Barry admitted, letting his eyes glaze over a little as he thought about all the times that Hal had been there for him. He'd been sacrificing almost all of his free time for them and hadn't so much as complained even _once_. It was funny how flaky, immature, impulsive Hal Jordan had become a rock for him to lean on – first with Iris' death, and then with Barry's return as Flash. "And Wally just loves him. He's 'Uncle Hal'. You should see how upset Wally gets when Hal has to go off planet on a Lantern mission."

"That's sweet," Diana said almost wistfully. "I wish that I had a friend who would do that much for me."

They hit the shore of Loutsa, and Barry slowed to a halt on the beach. Diana landed next to him and he pointed to the rowan loop belted at her hip, "I don't know if you're aware, but people who aren't friends don't normally drop everything and race to come help each other steal an ancient magical ward from a Gorgon."

She smiled and lifted the loop to look at it up close as if seeing it in a different light. The sorceress Circe had been making major attempts on Diana's life lately, and she was understandably getting tired of it. Diana had never been one to take things lying down, so she'd started collecting various bits of armor and weapons that would help her against the witch.

"And don't think for a second that Clark or Bruce wouldn't have been here if they weren't busy. You have more friends than you think," Barry told her, resting his hands on his hips.

Diana appeared to be thinking about his words for a moment, looking truly touched. Then, she stifled a laugh, "Isn't Bruce's expertise more in running multi-billion dollar companies and attending parties?"

Barry let out a chuckle and then clapped a hand over his mouth, feeling a little guilty for laughing. That had been the shocker of the decade when Batman had finally revealed who he really was. He'd been the last of the League to share their identity and, for Batman, it was an incredible show of trust – nothing to be laughed at. Although, it was less like him sharing his identity and more like him revealing another mask. Bruce had a sort of reverse secret identity. Batman was his true self and Bruce Wayne was the cover. So, in a roundabout kind of way – if you tilted your head and squinted, they'd known Bruce all along.

It was a little disappointing though that he didn't work a drive through. _Of course_ he'd be a billionaire…

"Hey, it's a damn good secret identity," Barry shrugged. They could poke fun at it all they wanted, but if anyone ever tried to say Bruce Wayne was Batman it would just be written off as tabloid gossip.

"I won't tell him you laughed if you don't tell him I said that," Diana proposed with a wry grin.

"Deal," Barry accepted immediately. He'd seen enough of Hal being on the receiving end of Bruce's wrath and he didn't want any part of it. He very much liked _not_ being banned from Gotham. Hal _still_ wouldn't say what he did to deserve that. "Do you need any more help here, or-?"

"Go be with your family," she rose into the air a few feet and looked to the west, replacing the loop on her belt. "I think I've collected all I need to face Circe should she dare to come after me again."

"Which she will if she's anything like my villains; none of them know when to stop," Barry held up his arms in a helpless gesture. "You know how to reach me if you need anything. I can be there in minutes."

"Thank you," Diana's expression turned serious and her eyes bored deep into Barry's. "You're a good friend. If it's alright, I'd like to visit Central City sometime. It's been nearly two years since I've seen Wally. I could help watch him if you would allow it."

Now it was Barry's turn to be taken by surprise. He blinked a few times to shake it off and nodded, "Uh, sure. That's…really nice of you, thanks. Are you okay with coming out of costume? Wally's still not old enough to be burdened with secret identities."

"It will not be a problem," she promised, waving goodbye before she flew off out of sight.

Barry watched her go for a few seconds and then consulted his mental map of the Earth to pin point exactly where he was and chart what route he needed to get home. Hal was always telling him that he needed to carry around a GPS system, but Barry didn't like to rely on gadgets. They could fail on him. He much preferred to keep the information stored in his head. Studying geographical maps until he had the area memorized was painstaking, but it paid off in the long run.

He pulled up his course in instants, and was tearing across the Mediterranean Sea on his way to Spain and Portugal. Maybe he should pick up dinner along the way… If he secured it well enough, it would definitely survive the trip across the Atlantic. And Hal really liked paella.

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Hal heard the key turn in the lock and he immediately felt a rush of giddy terror rip through his gut. He swung his legs off the couch and ran out of the living room with a ridiculous grin on his face, "Wally! He's here! Hurry up!"

He heard a loud thump from upstairs and then Wally's quick footsteps as he rushed around to get ready, "I'm hurrying!"

"Remember what we planned!" Hal shut off the TV and scrambled to his place by the staircase, turning off lights as he went.

"Okay!"

The front door cracked open and Barry walked in carrying a large bag. He frowned at the dark house and his eyes fell on Hal warily, "Hi…? What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing," Hal said innocently, knocking on the wall behind him to signal Wally.

"Why are the lights off…?" Barry set his bag on the couch and shrugged off his jacket. He started glancing about like he was expecting an attack.

"Dramatic effect," Hal answered quickly. He spotted Wally lurking on top of the stairs and flicked on the hallway light to substitute for a spotlight. "Ta da!"

Barry flinched suspiciously at the same time that Wally came hurtling down the stairs, leaping over at least six steps and landing on his hands and feet like a frog. Hal almost rushed to check on him, but Wally just sprang up like rubber and put his hands on his hips in a power stance.

No one said anything for a long time. Wally just beamed and held his pose while Barry stared at him blankly. Hal knew what he was seeing: Wally decked out in a Green Lantern t-shirt and obnoxious green sneakers with a tiny version of Hal's own flight jacket. He looked adorable – but somehow it didn't look like Barry agreed.

"What do you think?" Wally asked excitedly with his arms thrown wide.

Barry smiled at Wally like he was happy, but through his eyes shone murder, "I think it's cool… Where'd you get all that…?"

"Uncle Hal got it for me!" Wally twisted back and hugged Hal around the waist. "He said I wasn't a big boy if I didn't wear green."

Barry's eyes locked onto Hal's, and he felt a shiver crawl up his spine. They'd never been such an icy, lethal blue before… "Did he? Well, he's absolutely right. Since you're such a big boy now, why don't you go set out some plates for us?"

Wally gave him a quick hug too and scampered off to the kitchen, "Okay!"

Hal watched him leave and turned around to find Barry suddenly standing three inches from his face. He squeaked in alarm and tried to jump away, but Barry slugged him in the shoulder, "Ahh!"

" _Really?_ You're using psychological warfare now to make him like you better?" he hissed, keeping his voice low enough so that Wally didn't overhear. "Is this revenge for painting his room red? Cause that was two years ago. You need to let it go."

"Oh, this has just begun," Hal grinned, reaching to flick Barry's forehead. Barry flashed him crazy eyes and slapped his hand away, bopping Hal in the temple. "You're trying to indoctrinate Wally to be a Flash fan, but there are other great heroes out there too."

"That's your reason?" Barry looked unconvinced.

"Yep."

"You're sure it's not because you're making this into some absurd contest about who Wally likes better?" Barry crossed his arms and tapped his foot on the floor _almost_ too fast for a regular human.

Hal shrugged, "I wouldn't think of it."

"Then where is his Batman shirt?"

Hal recoiled, taken off guard, "Uh…what?"

"You heard me," Barry grinned suddenly, and Hal knew that he was about to lose this argument. "Where are his Aquaman shoes? Or his Martian Manhunter lunch box?"

"Uhh…I don't know."

"See? This is _really_ because you're a narcissist," Barry was trying hard not to laugh. Well, crap. Barry had seen through his ploy in seconds.

Hal didn't have his restraint; he chuckled quietly, "Look at him, though! He's like a little me! It's adorable."

"You're just reaffirming the narcissist comment," he sighed, picking up the bag he'd brought and turning on all the lights again.

Hal paused when he caught a whiff of whatever was in the bag. His snarky comeback died in his throat and he followed Barry like a clumsy puppy, "Whoa, I know that smell. Is that paella?"

"From Valencia," he confirmed with an airy sort of indifference.

Holy crap! Barry had brought him real paella from Spain! He leapt forward and grabbed Barry from behind in a bear hug, nuzzling his shoulder blades enthusiastically, "I love you so much!"

Barry stumbled and almost fell over with a cry, "Let go, you dork. Who said this was for _you_?"

"Don't make me beg," Hal refused to let go of him, so Barry dragged them both through the living room. "I can owe you favors."

"Hmm…" Barry shambled along, pretending to think about it.

" _Sexual_ favors," Hal teased, deepening his voice and walking two fingers across Barry's sweater.

" _No_ ," he laughed, shoving the bag into Hal's arms and slipping out of the hold. "God, not that. Just take the food and go."

"You'd miss me," Hal winked, ignoring the rolled eyes he got in response. He pulled out his phone and pulled up the photo he'd snuck earlier of Wally wearing Barry's sweater. "Here."

Barry looked at the phone curiously and a slow smile stretched across his face. He was completely taken with the picture of his son, so Hal left him alone and helped Wally dish out the food.

Hal couldn't believe that he'd thought it would be a drag when Barry adopted Wally. He remembered feeling worried that his friend would become boring and domesticated, but it ended up just being the natural progression of his character. Barry was a good person, and he was a great dad. It only _added_ to Barry's list of qualities, and Hal actually liked him more because of it.

When Barry came into the kitchen, he sat down at the table and fixed Hal with a grateful look, "So, aside from shopping, what happened today?"

Wally very carefully carried one of the plates to his dad and then climbed onto his lap, "We drew pictures today. I drawed you a llama, and a shark for Uncle Hal, and Grandpa Jay a alligator, and Grammy Joan a flower, and a really tall building for mister giant."

Hal looked up suddenly from behind the counter and frowned at them in confusion. Barry curled an arm around Wally and tried to eat one-handedly, "Mister Giant is Clark."

" _Oh_ ," Hal snorted with laughter. Yeah, that was a pretty good description of Clark.

Wally chattered on about learning to count, getting a time-out for playing tag in the classroom, what he had for snack time, and basically whatever popped into his head. Barry just listened patiently, smiling calmly and nodding, and making sure Wally took a break to breathe and eat something every few seconds.

The heat from the paella was starting to get to him, so Hal went to the fridge and took a drink of milk straight out of the carton. That's when he heard Wally's little voice go down a dangerous path.

" _Then_ , Uncle Hal and I went to get ice cream and he showed me how to 'pick up chicks'."

Hal froze and nearly choked to death on his drink. He quickly screwed the cap back on the milk and replaced it on the shelf, slowly closing the fridge door a little to peer around at Barry.

Barry was glaring at him unhappily over his shoulder while Wally rocked back and forth with an oblivious little smile on his face.

" _Wally,_ " Hal hissed through gritted teeth. "That was supposed to be a secret…"

"I didn't tell anyone else," the little redhead insisted.

"It was a secret from _Daddy_."

Wally looked abruptly horrified at the idea, "But I don't wanna keep secrets from Daddy!"

Barry beamed triumphantly while Hal sighed in defeat.

"Kid, I'm gonna have to teach you the fine art of lying," he grumbled and trudged back over to sit across from him and Barry.

"I'm full," Wally announced when Barry tried to get him to eat more.

"Oh, you _are_?" Barry shot Hal a sideways glare, cocking an eyebrow a little smugly. "Maybe that's because of all the ice cream you ate."

Hal expertly avoided the stare and focused on his food, feeling the barest hints of guilt cropping up. Barry could make him feel guilty about _anything_.

"Three more bites, okay?" Barry coaxed Wally to eat a bit more and then he was released to go play. When Wally was out of earshot, Barry flicked a balled up napkin at Hal. "I'm gonna kill you."

"Then who'd be your personal babysitter?" Hal taunted.

"Diana asked to help today," Barry bluffed, and Hal could tell almost immediately. His best friend had a terrible poker face.

"Please! Princess would have _no_ idea what to do with a kid."

"You didn't either at first," Barry didn't look fazed.

Hal decided to stay quiet and not partake in the verbal battle that he would inevitably lose.

"Hey, speaking of Diana and all them," Barry sat upright like he suddenly remembered something. "Clark invited Wally and me to the county fair in Smallville next month if you wanna come with."

"County fair?" Hal grinned. Oh, good lord, country people were so cute. "Is there gonna be a pie eating contest and pony rides?"

"Probably," Barry stared at him like a raptor trying to decide whether or not to eat something. "You gonna make hick jokes all day?"

" _Probably_ ," Hal said right back.

"Even in front of Superman?"

"Please," he scoffed. "He works in Metropolis; I guarantee you he'd heard worse than I can come up with."

Barry was forced to grudgingly agree, "Well, it's on the sixteenth if you're coming. Wally really wants you there."

"I'll go," Hal laughed. "I can't say no to Wally."

"That makes two of us," Barry sighed, resting his chin on his fist and closing his eyes tiredly.

"Hey…uh…" Hal began, but faltered when Barry looked at him. He wanted to ask about the password and find out why his name was added to it, but he didn't know how to phrase it. Maybe it wasn't anything. Would it be weird to bring it up then? Barry had never gotten mad about him breaking into his account before, but what if he hadn't meant for Hal to figure this one out? Why was Hal even thinking about it? It was _just_ a password… "Um, what time do you want me there?"


	7. Chapter 7

Running through Kansas was wonderful; it was all prairie land and farms. Barry could run as fast as he wanted and not have to worry about too many obstacles. _Driving_ to Kansas, however, was not so fun. Barry had spent the whole trip impatiently tapping the steering wheel and mentally weighing the potential damage of just forgetting about keeping his identity a secret from Wally. At least then he could sprint them both to Smallville – _and_ he'd probably win the battle for Wally's favorite superhero hands down.

Short term gratification – long term hassle.

Thankfully, Wally had discovered the country music stations fifteen minutes into the drive and entertained Barry with his singing. The hours went by quickly after that and soon Barry was pulling into a crowded field that had been repurposed into a makeshift parking lot. Wally had his nose pressed up against the window as he stared at the tall Ferris wheel slowly turning in the distance, "Daddy! Can we go on _that?!_ What is it?"

Barry got out of the car and immediately heard the loud music and steady hum of hundreds of people talking in crowds, "A Ferris wheel. You've been on one before, but you were probably too young to remember it."

"Can we go on _that_ one?" Wally took Barry's hand and tried to pull him towards the fairgrounds ticket booths faster.

"You sure you aren't afraid?" Barry teased him, deliberately moving slowly to make Wally hop around like an excited puppy on a leash. "It's really high up…"

"I'm not scared!" Wally insisted, jumping at Barry to be picked up. "I wanna try it."

"Alright, we can go on it," Barry hefted Wally onto his back and held his legs firmly. He paid for the entry fee and wristbands that gave unlimited rides, kneeling down to fix Wally's around his arm. The kid was practically dancing in place with his eyes glued to the rides and stalls blinking brightly in the evening light. Thankfully, Wally was past the phase where he used to run off without any warning, but Barry still felt a little anxious when he was at places that he could easily lose sight of his son. Wally wasn't a speedster, but he was a _fast_ little thing. He could easily be halfway across the park before Barry even knew he was gone.

He held Wally's hand again just in case he was thinking about taking off, and led him into the fairgrounds. This was what Barry loved about the country: the cool, clean breeze ghosting across his skin and the feel of trampled grass beneath his feet. They made it just across the gates when someone waved at them from the fence.

Wally looked up and tugged on Barry's sleeve to get his attention, "Who's that?"

"I…don't know," Barry squinted to try and see the stranger better, but he couldn't tell who it was from this distance. The man had on a black cowboy hat, plaid shirt, blue jeans, and boots. A suspicious feeling started in Barry's brain and worked its way down to settle heavily in his gut as he got closer and the face became very familiar.

 _Somehow_ , it was Hal.

Barry couldn't tear his eyes off of the Stetson hat on his head and the giant belt buckle at his waist. The whole picture was so absurd that as they went up to him, Barry couldn't help himself, " _What_ is that?"

"What's what?" Hal grinned impishly with his arms crossed over his chest and one boot resting on the bottommost board of the fence, knowing full well _exactly_ what Barry was talking about.

"On your head," Barry clarified with a nod to the hat. He released Wally's hand so the child could run over to Hal and clamber up the short fence to sit next to him and hug his arm.

Hal tipped the brim of the cowboy hat with a devilish wink and freed his arm to hook it around Wally, "It's a county fair, isn't it? I'm just blending in."

Barry looked around at all the people passing them by and noted that at least a third of everyone there was wearing a Stetson or some form of cowboy boots. He sighed and had to grudgingly admit that Hal definitely looked like he fit in, even if he was making fun of the style. Of course, that didn't mean that Barry had to condone it. He rested his hands on his hips and laughed a little, "You look ridiculous."

"No I don't. I'm hotter than the hinges of hell," Hal tried to look smug, but the laughter he was holding back burst out and he ended up shrugging. "Whatever _that_ means. I've already had about six gals say that to me since I got here."

Barry could believe that. Hal had his shirt tucked in and the top few buttons left undone. He looked like he'd just walked off the cover of a trashy, western romance novel. Sometimes, Hal was a little _too_ good looking. Barry shook his head and made Hal and Wally get off the fence, "Let me know if you're still happy when someone calls you finer than a frog hair split four ways."

Hal looked disgusted, "What…?"

"Uncle Hal," Wally pulled on his pant leg with a big smile, distracting him from getting any kind of explanation. "I like your hat."

"You do, huh?" Hal knelt down to his height and pulled a smaller cowboy hat out from nowhere and plopped it atop Wally's head with a grin. "That's good, because I got you one too."

Wally nearly lost his mind. He ran around Hal and Barry in a figure eight and grabbed the brim of the hat with both hands, "I'm a cowboy now! Look, look!"

"Alright, Bat Lash," Barry chuckled, snagging Wally's shoulder and pointing down the left side of the fairground's walkway. "Lead on then."

Wally skipped away and headed right for a stall selling hand carved toilet paper dispensers shaped like frogs. He cocked his head at one and frowned intensely as he tried to figure out what it was for. Hal and Barry followed after him at a leisurely pace, focused on keeping him in their sight. Hal jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the front gates and looked at Barry, "Shouldn't we wait for Clark back there?"

"You really think he's gonna have trouble finding us?" Barry sent Hal a wry grin. If Clark could track someone down in the middle of the largest city on the planet, he could locate three people in a farm town festival. He had telescopic vision, a super sense of smell, x-ray vision, and super hearing to use while he was looking for them.

"Good point…" Hal shrugged, probably thinking along the same lines.

"So, what's new with you?" Barry asked in an even, measured tone while they walked. He watched Hal out of the corner of his eye and saw him look up in surprise.

Hal went deer in headlights for a second before collecting himself, "What are you talking about? I'm with you like sixty percent of the week; you already know everything that's going on with me."

"I'm not stupid, Hal," Barry glanced around and moved closer to Hal so he could drop his voice in case anyone close by could overhear them talking. "You haven't mentioned anything about the 'corps' in days. Normally, you never shut up about it. So, what're you trying to hide?"

"You know, sometimes you're really irritatingly smart," He sighed in defeat and stuffed his hands into his pockets, "I'm going to Oa for two weeks at the start of November."

"Oh…" Barry frowned, looking at Wally who was a few yards ahead of them and blissfully unaware that anything was wrong.

Hal absently kicked at the dirt in front of him, eyes downcast, "Yeah… I didn't use to care about leaving the planet for days at a time, but now I feel so guilty about it. I knew it would upset Wally, so I've been putting off telling you."

"Hey, you've got a job to do," Barry shrugged, elbowing Hal in the side with a warm smile. "That's nothing to feel guilty about. We'll just tell Wally you're visiting your own family for a bit."

"He's _six_ ," Hal shot him an unconvinced look. "His reasoning skills aren't exactly fully developed yet."

"He'll still be upset no matter what we tell him, but he'll survive," Barry waved off Hal's guilt good-naturedly and tried to lighten the mood. "So, are you going because something bad happened? Is the universe going to fold in on itself at the end of November?"

"No," Hal breathed out in a short laugh. "Nothing like that. There's just a yellow hypergiant star about to go supernova in sector 589 and I got drafted to help out."

Barry took a second to puzzle out _how_ anyone was supposed to 'help out' with something like that. He came up with nothing and decided to be grateful that he only had one planet to worry about, "Right…well, have fun, I guess?"

"Kilowog has assured me that it will be the _furthest_ thing from fun," Hal grumbled.

"So…I should have a carton of ice cream ready for you when you get back?" Barry joked and had to leap away when Hal took a playful swipe at him.

"Daddy!"

They both looked over to see Wally hopping up and down in place and pointing at a small, dragon shaped rollercoaster a few feet away. The track was about the size of a large swimming pool with one hill no taller than a car, and Barry could have sworn that he'd seen the ride at every carnival he'd ever been to. He went up beside Wally and nodded at the entrance line, "Do you wanna try it?"

Wally's eyes were glued to the cars that were styled to look like a serpent. He nodded and raced to get in line, pausing when he noticed that Barry wasn't following him, "Daddy, aren't you gonna go on too?"

"I think I'm a little bit too big for that one, kiddo," Barry laughed and glanced over at the cars. The seats were barely bigger than high chairs. Hal was sniggering beside him and Barry knew he was picturing him stuffed into one of the cars with his knees shoved into his face. "But I'll go on the next one with you, I promise."

"Go ahead," Hal slung an arm around Barry's neck and wiped at some of the tears that had sprung up in his eyes from laughing too hard. "Your dad and I will wait right here for you."

Wally popped into the line and was secured onto the ride on the next go round. Barry and Hal migrated to the black iron fence that had been erected around the perimeter of the track and leaned on it to wait. The coaster started moving, and Wally waved at them both frantically from the front seat. Lots of other parents waved back at their own kids from various points around the gate, some taking pictures and videos. Barry was just content to stand in silence and watch his son having a good time, but Hal leaned against his shoulder and sighed, "You should keep talking."

"About what?" Barry turned his head to the side and frowned at Hal in confusion.

"I dunno. Anything," he shrugged. "I just like hearing you talk."

"What? _Why?_ " Barry cocked an eyebrow at him, idly noticing that they were attracting a few stares from the people walking past.

"I like hearing your accent," Hal explained like it was obvious. "It's very calming."

Barry didn't understand, "I don't have an accent."

Hal suddenly tore his eyes from the dragon coaster going around the track for the fourth time and looked at Barry like his face was missing, "Yes you do. It's a little one, but you've got that sexy Midwestern drawl going on."

Barry's eyes bugged out. He hadn't expected Hal to say _that_ , "Uh….what?"

"Don't be like that. I can appreciate a nice accent," Hal shrugged it off with a weird sort of grin. Was that him being defensive? _Why_? He laughed and it didn't sound as light as it usually did. "Haven't any of your female coworkers said anything to you about it before?"

The question very quickly and inexplicably made Barry feel extremely uncomfortable. He rubbed the back of his neck and shifted his weight from foot to foot, "I haven't noticed."

"Noticed what they said, or noticed _them_?" Hal asked slyly, his voice sounding abruptly normal again. Maybe Barry had just imagined the awkwardness.

"Them," Barry answered quietly, getting even more uncomfortable with the road this topic was going down. "I never had a reason to pay attention."

"And now?" Hal asked carefully.

Barry was silent for a long time. He stared down at his hands resting on the fence and thought about a certain coworker of his that had been overly friendly to him the last few months. "Well, there's one…"

Hal perked up in surprise, knocking his hat askew on his head, "Oh yeah? Who is she?"

"Patty Spivot. She works forensics with me," Barry agitatedly tapped his fingers against the railing. "I'm not interested, but…she definitely seems to be…"

"Hmm…" Hal didn't say anything at first. Barry couldn't tell what he was thinking about either. Was he upset? Worried? Eager for Barry to get a date? Or something else…? He leaned on his elbows and clasped his hands together, "Y'know…it's been two years since Iris passed. That's not too soon to start dating again. It may not be a bad idea to give it a go."

Barry felt himself shut down in mental self-defense before the throbbing pain in his chest could get any worse. He took a deep breath of cool air and said the first thing that came to him, even though he wasn't entirely sure if it was true or not, "It's too soon for me."

Hal seemed to know immediately that he'd upset him; he dropped the sympathetic look and straightened up. The ride made its last circuit and started to slow down, so Barry tried to keep the grief off his face and smile so that Wally wouldn't know anything was wrong.

"Do you think I could pull off a southern or midwestern accent?"

Barry studied him for a moment, taken off guard by the reverse subject change. Immediately, his brain started to imagine Hal speaking with a southern twang and he breathed out in a laugh, "Not at all."

Hal looked comically crestfallen for a moment, and Barry raised an eyebrow at him, "You really like my accent that much?"

"Uh, _yeah_ ," Hal said like it was obvious. He grinned at Barry. "I wish I could program my ring so that it had your voice when it spoke instead of the weird computer one it has now. In fact… Ring, can I do that?"

 _"Affirmative,"_ the ring's tinny voice said passively.

The resulting manic grin that bloomed across Hal's face could have lit up the whole fairgrounds, "Oh, do it then!"

"Not here!" Barry clapped both hands over the Lantern ring and shoved it into Hal's chest, glancing around at the people near them to see if any of them had overheard. "What's wrong with you?!"

"You two look cozy."

Hal and Barry both looked behind them to find Clark standing a few feet away. He was dressed casually with his fake glasses on and smiling like he was trying not to laugh. Barry glanced down at how he and Hal were gripping each other's hands. He tried to let go at the same time that Hal hooked a leg around his thigh and tossed a suggestive wink at Clark, "Jealous? Get your own speedster."

Barry pushed him over and sighed in exasperation, "Oh my God, I can't take you anywhere…"

Clark laughed and steadied Hal before he fell on his ass, "Glad you three could make it out."

His eyes studied Hal's attire curiously as if he'd just noticed what he was wearing, and Barry decided that he wasn't going to make any excuses for him, "I didn't think we'd beat you here."

"Sorry. I stopped by Rhode Island before I headed over," Clark said apologetically. "J'onn finished the zeta wave transport and he wanted my help testing it out."

"You didn't try it on yourself, did you?" Hal looked Clark up and down like he was searching him for injuries. It was funny how he was nearly invulnerable, yet they still worried about Clark getting hurt.

"No, we used an orange," the Kryptonian shook his head.

Barry's interest was piqued. His scientific side took over and he inched closer, "And it _worked_? How did the orange come out?"

Oh man, if they'd finally cracked zeta teleportation, then the possibilities were endless!

"Uh…it was frozen," Clark told them reluctantly.

Hal frowned at him in alarm, "Come time for human testing, _I'm_ not going first."

Barry deflated a little. Well, that was disappointing. True, zeta transport wouldn't really help _him_ out all that much – Barry could run faster than he could be teleported – but it was still an exciting technological achievement.

"Mr. Giant!" Wally exclaimed happily as he came running out of the ride's exit gate. He tripped over his own feet and stumbled to regain his balance. Barry almost had to physically restrain himself from zipping over to catch him. That had to be one of the hardest parts of keeping his identity a secret from his son.

"Hi, Wally," Clark smiled down at him brightly. He stooped over with his hands on his knees and was _still_ several feet taller than Wally. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah!" he grinned, bouncing in place and teeming with energy.

"Where do you want to go next?" Barry was content to let Wally lead them around the park all night. This was the first time he was going to be able to remember going to a carnival.

Wally turned around in a circle, looking a bit lost. He tried standing on his tippy toes, but it didn't appear to help his decision making any. It probably had something to do with him being hip height to almost everyone in the ever moving crowd.

"Here, let me help you out," Clark lifted Wally up and set him on his shoulders so that he could have a better view of everything around him.

Wally grabbed fistfuls of Clark's messy black hair and held on for dear life. His big green eyes were wide with surprise and a little bit of fear, but that cleared up after a few seconds. Wally gasped at the new vantage point and leaned over to look at Clark upside down, "I can see the whole world from up here!"

Clark burst out laughing at the hidden irony there and just nodded, "Well, maybe you'll be as tall as I am one day – but _only_ if you eat a lot of vegetables."

"That was clever," Hal said dryly, arms crossed in front of his chest like he was bored. "But unnecessary. Wally will eat anything – vegetables included."

Wally was resting all of his weight against the back of Clark's head and beaming proudly, "I'm a garbage can!"

Clark looked to Hal for an explanation, but he didn't look up to admitting that he regularly called a child a garbage can. Barry sighed, "It's said fondly, I promise. Hal and I were all ready for Wally to start fighting us with the whole vegetable thing, but I don't think he cares what's on his plate. We're pretty lucky."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Barry realized how much they made it sound like he and Hal were raising Wally together. Well…with as often as Hal was in Central City, they kind of _were_ raising Wally equal amounts. But, it sounded like he and Hal were _together_.

Clark and Wally didn't seem to have noticed anything odd about what he said, but Hal dropped his eyes and stared down at his feet like he was thinking. He shifted his weight uncomfortably and remained quiet. Barry contemplated rephrasing, and his mind sped through a hundred different ways to word it, but if he hadn't meant anything by it then there was no reason to clarify. Right? Hal might not have even been thinking about what he said.

"Well, what do you think, Wally?" Clark turned in a circle so that he could have a panoramic view of the fairgrounds. "See anything that looks interesting? Just tell me where to go."

Wally squinted across the stalls, attractions, booths, and games. He perked up suddenly and pointed over Clark's head at a fast spinning ride straight ahead, "The Scrambler!"

For the most part, Wally was good with the rides. He only got a little wobbly when they ended, but he was fully recovered after a few seconds of stumbling. Barry, Hal, and Clark were all used to extreme velocities and dizzying maneuvers, so the rides were a cakewalk compared to super powered combat. Surprisingly, Wally held his own just as well. He seemed to have a stomach of iron; he never got nauseous even after nine rides in a row. In fact, he seemed to get even _more_ energetic, like he fed off of the high it gave him.

He was going to be a thrill junkie when he got older.

Barry was carrying Wally a good distance ahead of Hal and Clark. They were speaking in hushed tones about Batman's latest project. Apparently, one headquarters firmly rooted to the ground wasn't enough for him. Bruce was drawing up schematics for a space station that would orbit the Earth and serve as the Justice League's new, more efficient base of operations.

In theory, Barry could see the benefits. The League was steadily growing – just last year they'd welcomed two Thanagarians into the ranks: Hawkman and Hawkwoman. Five months ago, a skilled magician named Giovanni Zatara accepted their invitation as well. Right now, the League had eleven members, but in a few more years the cave at Mount Justice would be too small. So, more space was definitely needed, but a whole satellite just seemed excessive. Besides, who was going to pay for it? Not even _Bruce_ could take on the financial burden by himself, and the rest of them weren't exactly billionaires – not counting Ollie.

Barry had a good amount saved up, but the majority of it was for Wally's college fund. Plus, he didn't think a few thousand would even put a dent into it.

The League would have to accept funding from private sources and governments, which meant that those benefactors would expect favors and special treatment. Barry wasn't okay with selling his attention as the Flash to the person with the biggest pocketbook. Fortunately, he saw the others reacting the same way.

Wally suddenly started giggling hysterically and it snapped Barry out of his daze. He looked back at Wally and followed his eyes to what he was looking at. Off to the side, there was a ring of padded mats surrounding a mechanical bull. The machine bucked violently and launched the poor sap clinging onto it heels over head. He flew a good few feet and landed on his back with a strangled gasp and a muffled 'whump'.

It set Wally off again and he could barely breathe from laughing so hard. Barry smiled and changed direction so they could stand with the crowd watching. Another person stepped up to try and was on the ground after just three seconds.

Hal and Clark caught up with them just as the crowd was chuckling at the fall. Wally accidentally kneed Barry in the kidney as he was scrambling to get down, "Daddy! I wanna go!"

An image of tiny Wally being flung completely over the fence flashed across Barry's eyes, and he reached out to grab him before he got even a foot away, "No _way_."

 _"Please…?"_ Wally twisted around and shot puppy dog eyes up at Barry.

"No," Barry gave a short laugh over how ridiculous the idea was. No amount of cute looks would convince him to let Wally do something like that. "You'll break your neck. That is not gonna happen. Not today."

"Aww…" Wally didn't press it any more.

"Why don't _you_ try it, Hal?" Clark sent Hal a sly grin once the ride's operator started walking the perimeter, trying to goad people into volunteering.

Hal eyed the bull with a derisive sort of smirk and laughed, "Uh…no."

Clark suddenly put on an understanding face and nodded. He leaned in like it was a secret and slapped Hal on the shoulder, "Oh, sorry. I get it."

"Get _what_?" Hal narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously. Barry just stayed silent and tried to keep his expression neutral as he watched Clark play Hal like a fiddle.

"That you're too scared," Clark clarified gracefully like he didn't know _exactly_ how Hal was going to react to that. "It's okay. I've been coming too this fair since I was eleven. That bull has always been pretty intimidating."

Hal gasped in disbelief like Clark had just delivered unto him an unforgivable insult, "I'm not 'scared'!"

"Hal, it's okay," Clark smiled kindly. This only made Hal angrier.

"I am a Gr… _pilot_!" Hal stuttered to correct himself before he gave away his identity. "I'm fearless!"

" _Oh_ …" Clark acted like he had a sudden epiphany, and Barry burst out laughing. He couldn't hold it in anymore. Clark just nodded sagely and stayed silent while Hal did a very good impression of a pot boiling over.

"I know what you're doing," Hal scowled at them both. "You're not getting me on that bull. It's just _country_."

Clark and Barry didn't say a word.

Hal continued to glare at them both like a madman and Barry could almost _see_ his nerves snapping. He gave an angry sigh of frustration and jabbed a finger at Clark's nose, " _You_ are a jerk."

He stomped off towards the mechanical bull, fishing around in his pocket for a five. He slapped the bill into the operator's hand, and the man hollered loudly, "We've got a taker here, folks!"

Clark leaned in to Barry, laughing, "Why does he always feel like he has to prove himself? It's almost _too_ easy."

"I think it's a pilot thing," Barry eyed Hal fondly as he climbed on top of the bull. Wally was excitedly cheering for Hal, pulling himself up the fence as far as Barry would allow.

The operator sat down at the controls and smirked at Hal's cockiness, "Alright, here are the rules: hold on with one hand _only_. Five bucks gets you three turns. Each round gets worse and worse. If you fall off, you lose. Stay on for ten seconds, and you win. Sound easy enough?"

"Yeah, yeah," Hal gripped the leather loop at the front of the saddle and dug his heels into the sides.

Barry chewed his lip with an absent smile. He didn't know why, but Hal looked ridiculously good like that – all angry and determined with a cowboy hat on.

"No one's ever won this thing."

He looked over at Clark quizzically and took in the crossed arms and anticipatory grin, "What?"

"I've been coming here since I was eleven," Clark repeated from earlier. "I've never seen a single person pass the third round."

Barry eyed him suspiciously and jerked his head towards Hal, "This is revenge for him showboating last week in Metropolis, isn't it?"

"Maybe a little…" Clark's smile tightened as he tried not to give himself away.

"Alright, we're gonna start slow since you're a beginner," the operator taunted Hal and flipped the switch. The mechanical bull lurched once as it started up and then rocked back and forth gently as it turned in a slow circuit.

Everyone started laughing except for Wally, who was still cheering his head off. Hal kept his seat with no effort, shooting Barry and Clark the evil eye every time he was turned their way. Ten seconds went by, and the operator positioned his hand over one of the knobs, "You ready for round two?"

"Bring it," Hal ground out through clenched teeth.

The bull hurtled forwards violently and Hal was nearly flung off. His eyes widened and he gripped the saddle with his legs immediately. It continued to buck and spin around erratically, but Hal did a pretty good job staying on. His hat flew off right away and joined the other hats littering the ground beneath like trophies. Hal made it the full ten seconds again, and all the warning he got for round three was a 'hold on tight'.

This time, the bull lurched sideways at breakneck speed and Hal tumbled off after only a second. He landed in a sprawl and just stared up at the sky like it hadn't quite registered in his head what had happened.

The crowd started clapping, and Clark could barely stand because of how hard he was laughing. Hal stumbled off the mat in a bewildered daze and went up to Barry unsteadily, "I…didn't expect it to do that…"

Barry patted him on the back and pointed at the buried hat, "You did really well, but…I think your hat is trapped forever."

Hal waved off that it wasn't important and tried to catch his breath. Wally patted his knee with a consoling look on his face, "It's okay, Uncle Hal. You're still the best."

He couldn't help but smile as Wally tried to comfort him, "You're so sweet. But, there's a real crime here. Mr. Giant set me up."

Wally gasped and whipped around to give Clark an angry, disappointed frown.

Clark couldn't even bring himself to look guilty. Barry took over and gestured for Hal to take Wally on ahead, "There's no 'crime', trust me. Go find something else you want to do."

Mollified, Wally took Hal's hand and dragged him on ahead to another part of the park. This time, they hit up all of the game booths. When Barry and Clark caught up to them, Hal was nearly finished with his retaliation. He'd won Wally a giant, inflatable hammer that squeaked whenever it hit anything. Barry was very disturbingly reminded of Harley Quinn. Hal also had a four foot tall green elephant for Barry and about seven other brightly colored stuffed animals that he made Clark carry around.

"His name is Pythagoras," Wally patted the elephant's trunk as he handed it to Barry.

The whole time, Hal just kept his free hands on his hips and a cocky smirk on his face as he watched Barry and Clark struggle to move around with all the bulky animals.

A big stage in the center of the fair grabbed Wally's attention next, and he wandered over to it. A wide banner hung over a long buffet length table reading '104th Annual Harvest Festival Rib Eating Contest'. Five large men were already sitting at the table facing the gathered crowd. Wally cocked his head and glanced back at Barry, "What's happening over there?"

"Smallville's rib eating contest," Clark answered for him. "All the barbeque restaurants in the county donate ribs every year and the entry fees go to a different charity each time."

"An eating contest…" Wally took a minute to process that, just staring at the stage with wide eyes.

"Do you have to eat fast or a lot?" Hal inquired passively. He had his hands in his pockets and was standing so close to Barry that their shoulders were tightly pressed together. Barry didn't look at Hal and tried to ignore the heat radiating off of him. For some reason, his memory pulled up the feeling of Hal's leg curling around his own. Barry stiffened up in surprise and tried to act normal. But what was normal? Pulling away? Staying where he was? He started to imagine Hal reaching out and curling his arm around Barry instead.

"Both," Clark laughed.

"Can I enter?" Wally asked in an awed voice. He'd clearly never heard of an eating contest before in his life and the idea of one was new and appealing.

Barry looked at the grown men already entered in the contest and then down at his skinny little son. Some of their _arms_ were bigger around than Wally's waist. "Umm…I'm not sure, kiddo."

"Is there an age limit?" Hal asked Clark.

"I don't think so," he shrugged. "I can't see anyone minding, though. They'd probably think it was cute."

"Alright," Barry said skeptically, turning his attention back to Wally. "Do you really want to do this? Some of those guys up there probably have a better chance of winning. Will you be alright if you lose?"

Wally nodded happily, "I can wipe the floor with those guys."

Hal slapped a hand over his mouth and muffled a snort. Barry tousled Wally's hair and waved towards the stage with a sigh, "Let's go sign you up then."

Wally was a bouncing ball of energy the whole way to the sign-up booth, and he kept shyly checking the steadily filling bleachers by the stage. Barry filled out the entry form and paid the fee while the helpers pinned a number eight to Wally's shirt. They were all smiling and giggling over him entering the contest and one even took his hand and led him up to his spot at the table. Barry went to the bleachers where Hal and Clark had grabbed a place and waited for it to begin.

Wally was seated between an older man that looked to be in his fifties and another who had to be at least three hundred pounds. He just looked so tiny up there. They had to bring him a booster seat, otherwise his head barely cleared the table. Barry rested his chin on his fist and sighed, "I can't believe I'm letting him do this. I'm such an awful parent – he's gonna be so sick later…"

Hal slung an arm casually around Barry's shoulders, "It's not like it's a knife eating contest, Bear. Lighten up. Sometimes you've gotta let the kid learn the hard way."

"Are you gonna stick around for the clean up?" Barry grumbled, referring to the unavoidable vomiting that would soon be occurring. It was his favorite comeback whenever Hal said anything like that.

"Of _course_ ," he grinned. "I practically live at your house anyways. Mopping up barf can be my rent."

"I don't understand your friendship…" Clark was looking at them sideways with a strange expression on his face.

"That's alright, because I don't either," Barry leaned on his knees. Wally was trying to tie on a bib himself, giving up after a few seconds and stuffing the top half into his collar. He was happily chattering away at the older man on his right.

"People get really into this rib contest, huh?" Hal was looking behind them and all around at the people filling up the stands and eagerly talking amongst themselves.

"It's a farming community," Clark was nodding. "Fairs like this are a big deal."

When all the contestants were on the stage, a young woman stepped out with a microphone and addressed the contestants, "Alright, looks like we're ready to start!"

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A big cheer went up all around, and Hal resisted the urge to laugh at the man yeehawing in front of him. This was so country bumpkin – it was great. He shifted in his seat while the announcer explained the rules – eating contest, yadda yadda, gotta clean your plate first to win, yadda yadda – and his back spasmed painfully. Well, not everything was great. He was going to have to get Barry to pop his spine when they got home. Throwing out his back and he wasn't even thirty yet…damn, he felt old.

Barry's knee bumped against his, and electricity shot up Hal's leg. It wasn't painful – Barry often carried a static charge and he'd accidentally shock other people, but never Hal. It just felt like a hot sort of tingle, and it wasn't unpleasant at all. In fact, Hal found himself using any excuse to brush against Barry or throw an arm around him so he could feel it again. It was highly embarrassing and no one was ever going to know about it.

Several people started bringing out _huge_ , hub cap sized platters of ribs and setting them in front of each contestant. Hal burst out laughing when Wally got his plate and it was taller than him. Water, buckets for the bones, and big rolls of paper towels got passed out, and then the countdown began. The crowd joined in around ten and a big buzzer went off when they reached zero.

All twelve contestants immediately dug in, grabbing ribs in both hands and going to town. Hal couldn't tell how Wally was doing until he saw clean bones being tossed over the pile into his bucket. There was at least one bone going in every three seconds. The other contestants weren't even going half as fast. Wally quickly tore through the top half of his plate and Hal watched in open-mouthed awe as soon as he could actually see the kid. Somehow, he was just sticking the whole rib in his mouth and pulling it out completely stripped of meat.

Beside Hal, Barry looked equally stunned. He was slowly shaking his head in disbelief, "You'd think I don't feed him or something…"

Wally just kept chowing down with single-minded efficiency. Both grown men on either side of him were starting to notice now and they kept glancing over at him in alarm every few seconds. Hal narrowed his eyes at Wally's focused little face, "Where is he putting it all…? He can't weigh more than 40 pounds."

"Oh, he's just healthy. I ate like a horse when I was his age," Clark didn't seem surprised at all. "Ma always threatened to stick me in the ground and just water me like a plant."

Barry laughed out loud suddenly, and both Hal and Clark sent him odd looks. He chuckled for a bit until he noticed them staring, and then he stopped and stared back cautiously, "…It's funny…cause y'know, he gets his powers from the yellow sun…and plants need it…for photosynthesis… What – nothing? I thought it was funny…"

"You're such an adorable little science nerd," Hal grinned at Barry. "I love it."

Barry went a little red around the ears and straightened up in his seat. His response made Hal's heart beat faster and for some reason, it was no longer okay to be touching. He moved his leg away, pretending like it was just because he was hooking it over the other, and focused all his attention on the race again.

Wally was almost done with his plate by now. He only had seven ribs to go and everyone else was leagues behind him.

"He's actually winning…" Hal murmured, very calm in contrast with the spectators going wild over a six year old beating grown men in an eating contest.

Wally finished off his last rib and plunked it into the bucket with a triumphant little smile. He kept his barbeque sauce covered hands just off the table like he didn't know what to do with them and looked around patiently until the judge stopped the contest to declare him the winner. The announcer quickly dashed over to him and raised Wally's arm above his head in victory, "And contestant number eight is our winner! I don't believe it! What's your name, sweetie?"

"Wally…" he spoke into the mic shyly and then perked up like he'd just thought of something. He waved excitedly at the crowd with a big smile on his barbeque smeared face. "Hi, Daddy!"

The crowd went 'Aww' all at once, and Hal snuck a glance at Barry. He was just smiling, looking like his heart was melting.

They put a small medal around Wally's neck and marched him off stage as everyone clapped. Once the crowd dispersed enough for Barry and Hal to move, they went to collect him. He was dancing in place when they got to him and ignoring the efforts of one of the helpers who was trying to clean him up, "Did you see? Did you see? I told you I could do it!"

"We saw," Barry carefully picked him up and started wiping the sauce off his face himself. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Mmhmm," Wally nodded easily.

"Not gonna be sick?"

"Uh-uh," he shook his head.

"He's a bottomless pit," Hal ruffled Wally's fiery orange locks proudly.

"Can we go on the Ferris wheel now?" Wally asked them both immediately, not deterred in the slightest by how full he was.

Hal glanced over his shoulder at where the ride was. The sky was dark enough now that the decorations on the wheel shone like Christmas lights. It was turning slowly enough that it wouldn't upset Wally's stomach. "Kid, I think after _that_ , you can do pretty much whatever you want."

Barry didn't say anything to indicate agreement, but he kept a strangely wooden smile on his face. Hal was just about to ask him what was wrong when Clark leaned close and put a hand on his shoulder, "Sorry, guys. I need to take off early. There's a… 'big story' in Metropolis I need to look into."

Subtle way to say that he had to go stop one of his villains from rampaging around the city. Hal flexed his ring hand meaningfully, "Need any help?"

"I've got it covered," Clark gave him a wink. "It should be a quick write up, but thanks."

Man, they were gonna be in trouble when Wally grew up and started poking holes into their excuses.

"Bye, Giant Man," Wally said quickly after a nudge from Barry. "Thank you for inviting us."

"You're welcome," he waved before heading off toward somewhere secluded to change into his uniform. "Enjoy the rest of the night."

"Thanks, Clark," Barry waved him off.

"Ferris wheel?" Wally whispered eagerly, jumping in Barry's arms.

"Yeah, it's time for Ferris wheel," Hal laughed, and they started towards the edge of the park. "But I think that should be the last ride tonight – just in case those ribs decide to come back up."

Wally bobbled along singing a Ferris wheel song he'd made up on the spot, but Barry was strangely silent the whole way. His blue eyes were fixed on the giant wheel and he barely even blinked as they made their way to the line. Wally jumped down and ran to the queue, but Barry grabbed Hal's arm to hold him back, "Hey…"

"What's up?" Hal stopped and frowned at the suddenly raw look on Barry's face. He looked like he was in pain.

"Would you mind going on with Wally by yourself?" Barry asked quietly.

"Sure…" Hal answered cluelessly. "But, why?"

"The uh…Ferris wheel…" Barry nodded toward the ride apprehensively. He struggled to speak and took a deep breath. "I…asked Iris to marry me on one."

Hal's stomach dropped into his feet and then the pained look on Barry's face made sense. "Oh…"

Wally stopped at the end of the line and looked back when he realized they weren't behind him. He waved for them and Hal held up one finger to signal for him to wait. He turned back to Barry and thought hard about what to do. The Ferris wheel was obviously the trigger to an intensely painful memory, but Hal didn't want his friend to be haunted by something this heavy any longer. So, he put on his most confident, reassuring grin and held out his hand to Barry, "Come on."

The speedster looked hesitant for a moment. His eyes flickered between the wheel, Wally, and Hal lightning fast and he carefully reached out to place his hand in Hal's.

He pulled Barry over to Wally and the three of them got into their own pod when it came around. Wally took one side for himself and immediately stood up on his knees to see better once they started moving. Barry was like a stone, keeping his eyes on the floor of the car and staying utterly still. Hal discreetly covered Barry's hand with his own again, lightly squeezing his fingers to coax them out of the fist they were curled into.

Barry's head turned towards him in surprise, but Hal didn't know what to say so he looked away. Barry didn't try to free his hand and the stiffness gradually went away as the ride went on. Wally talked the whole time, but Hal barely heard a word he was saying. He was too focused on the electricity surging up the bones in his arm and the way Barry's tense muscles started to relax.

By the end of the ride, Barry was smiling, and Hal had a hard time tearing his eyes away from him.


	8. Chapter 8

October went by faster than it had any right to. Hal was in Central almost constantly to spend as much time with Wally as he could, but it was little consolation. They all knew that he had to leave in November. It was always difficult whenever he went on a Lantern mission because Wally was so attached to him. He'd cry and throw tantrums and refuse to listen for a few days, but Barry was always able to calm him down. This time, however, Barry found himself dreading the first of November for a different reason than the tantrums.

 _He_ didn't want Hal to go.

It was only for two weeks, but that number seemed unbearable for an insane reason that Barry couldn't quite place. He always missed Hal, but it was more than that this time; he was worried about him. Barry had never done that before. Yeah, their job was dangerous, but Hal was a powerhouse. He never came back from a fight with anything more serious than scraped and bruises. He was a more capable fighter than heroes twice his age.

Barry just couldn't get the fear out of his head that something horrible might happen to Hal out there in space and he would have absolutely no way to help him. It was ridiculous, because Hal had said the mission was a cakewalk, but the idea wouldn't leave. Barry wanted him within running distance. He was nearly as manic about the first as Wally was.

And it was tomorrow…

Barry sat brooding at his desk in the CCPD lab with his face resting beside the stapler. He was actually glad to be working Halloween this year. It meant that Hal could take Wally trick-or-treating and Barry didn't have to pretend like he wasn't horribly depressed. It was a win for everyone…

Barry drummed his fingers against the desk as he waited for AFIS to finish running his murder suspect's fingerprints through the database and get back to him with the results. He literally couldn't do _anything_ until the prints came back. So, he took a leaf out of Bruce's book and practiced his brooding. Barry's eyes rolled over to glance at his watch. It was nearly seven at night. Hal and Wally should be heading back to the house soon; they'd been out for hours. Hopefully, Wally would be tired out from walking around all the neighborhoods Hal insisted they hit up for candy and he wouldn't have the energy to get as upset over Hal leaving in the morning.

It was a long shot, but still nice to hope for.

The lab phone started its low ringing, and Barry blindly felt around for it before dragging the receiver to his ear, "Allen here."

_"Hey, I was hoping you'd be the one who picked up."_

Without even picking up his head, Barry looked around at the empty lab that was devoid of any personnel besides himself. He almost expected crickets to start chirping. "I'm kinda the only one here, Patty."

 _"Do you have a few minutes free?"_ Patty Spivot asked from the other end of the line. Barry cringed and slowly sat upright in his chair. Patty had been trying to ask him out on various small dates for nearly a month now. She'd been very respectful of his need to mourn Iris, but now it seemed like she wasn't about to give up any time soon.

Barry eyed his computer. It was still running the fingerprints, which could take minutes or hours. He didn't want to say he was available for anything, but he couldn't lie, "Uh, yeah. What do you need?"

_"I got a call from the medical examiner working on the Barton murder with us. He found a few pieces of evidence on the body that he needs us to pick up. Can you meet me at the morgue?"_

He let out an inaudible sigh of relief when she didn't ask him out for coffee, and dragged his fingers across his eyes, "Yeah, sure. I'll be there in a few minutes."

 _"Perfect! Bring some evidence bags with you, please,"_ Patty's clear voice asked with just a little bit _too_ much cheerfulness. She hung up and Barry stared at the phone for a few seconds, wondering if Patty had an ulterior motive after all. He made a face and leaned back to pop his spine before pushing back his chair and grabbing his badge off the counter.

The morgue was in the same plaza as the police station, so Barry made it there quickly. He flashed his badge and was shown to the right room immediately. Barry thanked the security guard and swiped his photo ID through the scanner to get in. The automatic glass doors opened with a soft noise and Barry stepped inside.

The morgue was like a refrigerator, but Barry was used to how cold it was by now. Patty and Dr. Jenner were standing by one of the walls that housed the body drawers. They were talking casually and laughing about something Barry hadn't heard. On the other side of the room, there were three bodies covered with white sheets lying side by side on gurneys. Barry's eyes swept over the featureless forms quickly and he frowned when it looked like one of them twitched fractionally. It must've been the sheet moving from when he'd come in.

Patty sprang at him when she noticed him and stole his attention away. She grabbed his arm with a big smile and spoke in an overly loud voice, " _Barry!_ "

He let her pull him over to Dr. Jenner, noticing how she'd pulled her mousy blonde hair up into a twist and carefully done her make-up today. Again, he prayed that she wouldn't hint to be asked out on a date. She was craftier than he'd expected at backing people into corners. "Dr. Jenner found the bullets in our victim."

"Oh, good," he said in real relief. The Barton case really needed those bullets to match the gun they recovered from the crime scene.

Dr. Jenner went to his desk and pulled out a clipboard, handing it to Barry, "Just need you both to sign for them. I'll be right back with the slugs."

Barry scribbled his signature at the bottom of the page and passed it off to Patty.

"Do me a favor and take a peek at those corpses while you're waiting," Jenner said over his shoulder as he swiped himself out. "There wasn't any identification on the bodies and you have a knack for being on a first name basis with everyone in town, Allen. They were in a nasty car crash earlier and no one's claimed them yet."

"Um…is that really alright?" Barry glanced between the bodies and Patty. She didn't look as uneasy as he was about the task. "Don't you have like protocol or something that we'd screw up?"

"Normally, yes," Jenner nodded as he left. "But we're desperate to notify the families. Plus, if anything happens to them, you two were the only visitors down here today. I'll know it was you."

The door slid shut behind him and Barry looked at Patty again, but she was preoccupied with filling out the release paperwork. She pushed her glasses further up her nose with her wrist and smiled, "Go ahead. I'll finish this up."

"Great…" Barry said with gritted teeth and fake enthusiasm. He was completely desensitized to seeing dead bodies, but that didn't mean he liked to be volunteered to go examine one. He silently padded over to the gurneys and felt a large weight being lowered onto his chest. This was never pleasant. If he could recognize one though, it would be worth it. No one should ever have to lie in a morgue without an identity, and no family should have to wonder for days where their loved ones are.

He could tell from the silhouettes that it was two grown men and one young child. Barry went to the man on the left first; children always got to him – especially since adopting Wally. Seeing a dead child was something you never got used to.

He very carefully took both corners of the sheet by the head and slowly pulled it over so he could see the man's face.

It was Hal.

Barry's muscles instantly locked in place and he became a statue. He stared at the bloody gashes all over Hal's face and the ravaged, unnaturally pale skin of his neck and shoulders with uncomprehending horror. Hal was deathly still and his expression was smoothed into one of lifeless serenity. Barry started shaking and, for a second, Hal's face became Iris'. He blinked rapidly and the movement broke the spell of shock. Barry's heart beat so fast that he could've been running at the speed of light. He let out a shuddering breath and looked over Hal's wounds in disbelief. He was- _How_?! He couldn't be dead…

Barry dropped the sheet and reached out to touch Hal's cheek with trembling fingers. The very instant their skin touched, Hal's eyes popped open and he jumped at him with a huge grin on his face. It took exactly four thirds of a second for Barry to figure out what was going on. Hal wasn't dead. He was _pretending_ to be dead to scare him.

The whole room went red. Barry liked to consider himself a calm and rational man, but Hal Goddamn Jordan really knew how to piss him off like no one else.

His fingers curled into a fist and he punched Hal right in the face, shaking and furious, " _What the hell is wrong with you?! You almost gave me a heart attack! I thought-"_

Hal clutched his nose and fell back onto the gurney, laughing like mad. At the same time, a sheet rustled behind Barry and he turned around in time to see the second body sit upright and yank the sheet off. It was Oliver Queen sitting there in full Green Arrow costume, looking over Barry's shoulder where Hal was still trying to figure out if his nose was broken or not, "Whoa…uh, this was _his_ idea."

"Cool your jets, Bear," Hal sat upright, letting the sheet pool at his waist. His torso was completely naked and, even in his rage, Barry's eyes roved over the contours of his muscles. He frowned, uncomfortable with the odd feeling rushing through him, and was about to turn his back on Hal when he noticed that one of the 'wounds' looked odd. Barry narrowed his eyes and pinned Hal in place, swiping a thumb over an oozing gash on his collarbone. He rubbed the 'blood' between his fingers and sighed. It was _jelly_. None of the injuries were real. Barry angrily smeared the red jelly on Hal's forehead and took a step back to try and hide his crippling relief. Hal wiped it off with a crooked grin and chuckled, "I'm a zombie. Rising from the dead is how I roll. Oh, come on, it's just a prank."

Barry's hands turned into fists convulsively and Ollie had to leap up to hold him back from smashing Hal's face in, "Time to shut up, Hal."

He suddenly remembered the other, much smaller 'body' covered on the third gurney beside Oliver. Barry stalked away from Hal and pulled the sheet off to find Wally lying there in his lion costume. His eyes were open and someone had sealed his mouth shut with a strip of duct tape. Barry's head whipped around to glare at Hal accusingly over his shoulder.

He just shrugged, "I was worried he'd giggle and give it away, so we improvised."

" _He_ improvised," Ollie pointed a finger at Hal nervously. "I had nothing to do with that."

Barry carefully removed the tape from Wally's mouth and the redhead leapt up to hug him, "Surprise!"

A little bit of his anger disappeared with Wally in his arms, so Barry patted his back and tried to control his breathing, "How did you three get in here?"

"Your coworker helped us out. We said we wanted to scare you and she was pretty eager to help, although I think she just wanted to see me half naked," Hal gestured to his bare torso, swinging his legs over the side of the gurney and leaning on his knees. "I mean, who can blame her?"

Barry glanced back at Patty, who was openly watching them with a subdued smile on her face. She gave him a little finger wave and started towards them. He turned back to Hal and had to fight to not stare at his abs. They weren't that impressive…they weren't. And even if they were, it wasn't a big deal that he thought so, because he could think that without it meaning anything. And even if it did…well, Barry was unamused, so he could ignore it. He held Wally tighter and tried to frown even though his anger was nearly gone, "I thought you and Wally were going home after trick-or-treating. And why are _you_ here, Ollie?"

"The kid missed you," Hal shrugged, leaning back on his hands. "We hit up a few blocks, but then he kept asking for his dad, so I cooked this up and we booked it to the station. Ollie's here because he kept begging to come with the second he found out I was taking Wally. He still won't tell me why. I think it's because he's lonely out in Star City all by himself in his giant castle-mansion. That broad he's got his crush on is still rejecting him."

Oliver scowled indignantly at the smug look on Hal's face, "She's only hit me ten out of the twelve times I've run into her – and _that_ means its love. I've still got a chance."

"Yeah, sure," Hal snorted dismissively. He crossed his arms and nodded at Barry with a smile. "We've talked Wally into letting us take him to a haunted house and his stipulation is that _you_ have to come with."

Barry looked down at Wally for confirmation and found the little redhead nodding enthusiastically. His big green eyes stared back with a serious glint, "It's not because I'm scared."

"Uh huh," Barry nodded like he believed him. "You just want me there, right?"

"Right."

He chuckled and set Wally down on his feet regretfully. He couldn't go anywhere for the night until he got the results on his fingerprint scan, "I'm sorry, little man. But, I'm still working. I really wanted to take you out myself, but I can't."

"That's okay, Daddy," Wally beamed. "I wanna stay with _you_ then. Your job is fun."

Barry had made it a point to keep the more gruesome details out of his stories about work from Wally. The kid didn't need to know about bloody crime scenes and vicious serial killers. If he went around thinking all Barry did was test gum wrappers for fingerprints and play with chemicals all day to catch crooks, then that was fine with him. So, it was understandable that he'd imagine being a forensic tech as fun.

"Uhh…" Barry tried to come up with an excuse to deter him. He wasn't very good at this; it had only _just_ occurred to him to be angry that Hal and Oliver had brought his son into a morgue.

Patty walked up behind them and tossed Hal a bundle of something that turned out to be a ratty, old torn shirt that he slipped over his head. Grudgingly, Barry had to admit that he'd done a great job with the zombie costume. "Why don't you go with them, Barry? I'll finish up your lab work; I'm heading over there anyway to drop the bullets off to ballistics."

She held up the empty evidence bags he'd brought and smiled sweetly. Barry looked at her unsurely, but Hal, Oliver, and Wally were all grinning like the four of them had planned this all out before he'd even gotten here. No doubt, Patty had a slew of arguments to back up her offer if he tried to refuse.

"Thank you, Patty. This is really nice of you," he caved.

She immediately went nine shades of red and smiled down at her shoes in embarrassment, "It's nothing. You should get to enjoy Halloween with your son while he's still young. It's more fun then."

"What a gal," Ollie said with a meaningful wink at Barry. He moved to sling an arm around Patty's shoulders and rested one hand on his hip confidently. "You're lucky to work with such a doll, Barry – especially one that holds _family_ in such high regard."

He was as subtle as a flying brick.

It was funny, because at first Hal was the one championing for Barry to date again. After that night at the county fair though, he'd dropped the subject entirely and stopped testing the waters to see how Barry felt about it. Obviously, Oliver had been brought in on it before then, because _he_ was still trying to shove any girl at him who didn't hate children with a passion. On paper, Patty Spivot was perfect for him. She was just as capable in forensics as he was, responsible and even-tempered, and she went out of her way to help Barry spend time with his son – this wasn't the first time she'd offered to stay late at work for him or switch shifts so he could be with Wally. She was very pretty and intelligent. Barry just didn't feel anything for her. Not the way he did for…

He glanced sideways at Hal and found him giving Oliver a deeply unhappy look. Barry didn't understand what he was so upset about.

He wasn't the only one who noticed. Patty's smile faltered and she ducked under Oliver's arm uncomfortably, "Uh, I'm gonna head out. You four have fun."

They all watched her grab the bullets from a startled Dr. Jenner and scurry out of the morgue. Oliver turned back to Hal and raised an eyebrow at him, "What's wrong with you? Did she have something on her face or were you just trying to scare her off for no reason?"

"What?" Hal snapped out of it, looking confused.

"I was planting the seeds to get her to think about dating Barry and then you had to go and give her a death glare!" Oliver threw up his arms. Barry and Wally both looked back at Hal. He was glaring at _Patty_? Why?

Hal shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking like he was internally scrambling for an excuse, "I wasn't glaring at her. I…was…staring at her mustache."

They all sent him varying looks of disbelief.

"She had whiskers on her chin," Hal insisted half-heartedly, making a pulling motion at his own jaw. "They were blonde, but they were there…"

Oliver crossed his arms over his chest and gave Hal a look like he was trying to figure out if he was high or not, "…That's a beard."

"Whatever. Mustache, beard, it's the same thing," Hal huffed defensively, gesturing sloppily at Oliver's head. "You should know. Your whole _face_ is one giant beard."

Before Oliver had time to get his feathers ruffled, Barry stepped in and waved his free arm at them to steal their attention, "Hey! Didn't someone say something about a haunted house?"

"Yeah!" Wally chimed in happily.

"Oh, that's right," Hal snapped his fingers. "Beardface spotted it when we were heading over to the station. He said it's in a church just down the road."

Oliver threw a minor glare at Hal before turning his back on him completely and facing Barry, "You'll need a costume."

Barry led the way out of the morgue, making a face at the idea. Didn't he wear a costume enough as it was being the Flash? "Do I have to?"

Wally, Hal, and Oliver all looked equally horrified, "Yes!"

"Fine," He sighed. "I'll just grab a lab coat from the station before we go."

"And go as what – a scientist? You _are_ a scientist," Oliver laughed as they went outside into the chilly night air.

Barry stopped and raised an eyebrow at him, nodding meaningfully at the Green Arrow uniform he was wearing, " _Really?_ "

Hal started sniggering and Oliver froze when he realized the hypocrisy. He stared down at his tunic silently and 'hmm'd. Wally clearly didn't understand the joke.

"You can't just be a scientist. You should be a…" Hal tapped his chin thoughtfully and his face went through a few odd expressions before settling on awkward stoicism. "Uh…mad scientist…"

Barry didn't know why, but he'd half expected Hal to say 'sexy scientist' for some reason. He tried to act normal, "No."

"Please?" Wally scuffed the toe of his shoe on the ground and looked up at him with big eyes.

"Aww, look how cute you are," Barry pretended to go along with it. He bent down and kissed the top of Wally's head, lightly ruffling his hair. " _No._ Nice try, but I know your tricks, you little snot. You're spending too much time around Hal."

Wally smiled deviously, dropping the sweet act instantly. He was going to be a really good actor when he got older. Barry gave him a hug and a fond smile, "Hang tight here for a sec, I'll be right back."

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Hal kinda wished he'd told Barry to dress up as a sexy scientist. Because it would be funny… And that's all…

He kept an eye on Wally, who was running around in circles a few yards away by the giant fountain in the center of the plaza while they waited for Barry to come back. Ollie elbowed him in the ribs and crossed his arms, "She had a mustache, huh?"

He had that look on his face like he wouldn't drop it until he got a straight answer, so Hal cooked up a big old fib to tell him instead, "Look, just stop trying to set Barry up with people. He doesn't like it."

"But you said…"

"I changed my mind!" Hal smacked him away half-heartedly. "I mean _he_ changed his mind. _He_ did."

"Who did what?"

They both turned around at the sound of Barry's voice, and Hal unconsciously started drooling all over himself. Barry had his hands in the pockets of a long white lab coat, a pair of protective glasses hanging loosely around his neck, and his normally perfectly neat hair all messed up like someone had heatedly dragged their fingers through it. He looked damn fine.

"Huh…that's actually a pretty good costume," Oliver was nodding, looking impressed. Hal found himself unable to speak.

"Are we gonna talk about _your_ costumes?" Barry was doing a very good impression of a disapproving mother. He waved a hand at Ollie and blinked slowly. "You went as yourself? That's incredibly stupid."

"Yeah! And nobody knew who I was!" Ollie threw his arms up in frustration. "Everyone we passed by kept saying I was Robin Hood."

Hal knew exactly what was going through Barry's mind at that point: secret identities being compromised, questioning his friends' sanity, marveling at the sheer level of stupid he was being faced with.

Barry pointed between Hal and Ollie and just shook his head, "You two are perfect for each other…"

"Are we ready to go now?!" Wally came sprinting up to them as soon as he spotted Barry. He jumped up and down, tugging on the lab coat eagerly.

"Are you sure you want to?" Barry looked concerned. He was probably worried about Wally getting nightmares. "There might be monsters in there."

"Monsters aren't _real_ ," Wally smiled bravely, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm not scared; I'm fearless! Just like Uncle Hal."

Barry cocked an eyebrow at him and shot the faintest of disapproving glances at Hal, "Fearless is stupid."

"Maybe he gets it from me," Hal boasted proudly. He scooped Wally up and balanced him on his hip.

"Fearless or stupid?" Ollie cracked up laughing. Hal spun around and slugged him in the arm.

Wally boldly led the way once Ollie pointed out which direction, walking a few feet in front of them. As they got closer to the church though, and the sounds of generic Halloween screams and scary laughing got louder, he started to hang back closer to the group and his steps became less confident. Wally was practically glued to Barry's side by the time they reached the church and the loud music and flashing strobe lights around the front doors. There were two men dressed up like doctors by the doors with foreboding expressions on their faces and donation buckets in their hands.

They had fake blood all over their gloves and scrubs, and Hal felt just a tiny bit of parental concern over whether this was too scary for Wally or not. Oh no… He was thinking like a responsible adult.

"Are you brave enough to check yourselves into… _the asylum_?" one of the 'doctors' asked in a creepy voice.

Hal glanced up and saw a hastily made banner sagging low over the roof that looked like it had been written in more fake blood. _He_ was unimpressed, but Wally looked wide-eyed, pale, and frightened. Hal knelt down and curled an arm around his shoulders while Ollie stuffed a wad of bills into one of the donation buckets, "You sure you're okay to go in?"

"I'm not afraid," Wally insisted shakily.

Barry looked grateful to have Hal on his side. He reached out to Wally and whispered to him, "Well, _I_ am a little. How about you hold my hand to make me feel better?"

"Okay, Daddy," Wally immediately grabbed Barry's hand and held on for dear life. Hal had to look away. Jeez, they were cute together.

The second 'doctor' held the door open for them as they walked into a nearly pitch black room. The entire sanctuary had been transformed into a maze of makeshift rooms with long, black tarps for walls. As soon as the doors shut behind them, the foyer went bright green and huge spiders dropped from the ceiling onto them.

Tiny fingers closed around Hal's and he looked down to find Wally clutching his hand with his eyes shut tightly. Hal squeezed his hand back and pulled them into the next room that was set up to look like a bloody, messed up kitchen. There were two people dressed as patients standing by a big silver serving platter with meat cleavers and knives in their hands.

Wally stayed as far away from the table as he could while they passed by it, and he jumped when the lid to the platter was yanked off to reveal a severed head. The man hiding under the table belonging to the head let out a loud screech, and Wally darted around to hide behind Barry's coat. Hal looked sideways at Ollie, and the archer was beginning to look a bit guilty.

The next room was a little worse. It was decorated like a cell with a woman in a straitjacket chained to the floor. She lunged at them and growled wildly when she reached the end of the chain. Wally was holding both Hal's and Barry's hands in front of his face like a shield.

The room after that was the last straw. Ever since they'd first walked into the church, Hal had heard a constant chainsaw noise in the background. Now he knew where it was coming from. _This_ room had someone dressed as a doctor lying on an operating table while three inmates pretended to cut him apart with the chainsaw. Buckets of fake gore spilled down the table, and even Hal had to admit that this was too much.

Over the roar of the saw, Hal heard Barry say 'Nope' and pick Wally up. He covered the kid's eyes and kicked open a fire exit, and was out the door so fast that Hal could've sworn he used superspeed.

Hal and Ollie followed him out, and that's when they could hear that Wally was crying. Barry was rubbing his back to soothe him and he directed a furious glare at Ollie, "I thought you said this was child friendly!"

Faced with an angry father, Ollie shrank back and glanced at the back of the building, "I thought it was! It's in a _church_!"

"Ollie, he's _six!_ " Hal went over to make sure Wally was okay. "They were cutting people up in there."

"I'm sorry," Ollie scrubbed at his face, looking apologetic. "I guess you can rent out a church for anything these days."

Barry glared daggers at him again. No matter how hard they tried to get along, Ollie and Barry always ended up butting heads for one reason or another.

"You've gotta be extra careful with kids, man," Hal grabbed Ollie's arm and pulled him aside, lowering his voice to try and diffuse some of the tension. He was irritated too, though. This was probably going to give Wally nightmares, and he was planning on leaving for Oa in a few hours. He wouldn't be here…

"I know, I know," Ollie ran his fingers through his hair, resting one hand on his hip. "I'm crap with kids. That's why I wanted to come out with you tonight. I wanted to see how you interact with Wally."

"Why…?" Hal asked cluelessly.

"Well, I know you aren't his dad, but you're dad-like when you're around him," Ollie looked entirely unsure about his words. "And I've been thinking really hard about adopting a kid, so…yeah."

"You're _what_?!" Hal gaped at him in open disbelief. "Since when?"

He couldn't even fathom Ollie being a dad unless he had an unfortunate 'accident' with some random woman.

"Remember back in July when I judged that archery contest on the Navajo res?" Ollie began awkwardly. "Well, the kid that won is an orphan, and I haven't been able to get the idea out of my head that I can help him. He's a little older than Wally, and the kid really is a genius with a bow."

"That doesn't mean you go ahead and adopt him," Hal hissed, leaning close so that Barry didn't overhear them. "There are some people who are meant to be parents and some who just aren't. If Barry's hero name wasn't 'Flash', then it would be 'Superdad'. You and I….we're part of the latter group. Why can't you just throw a ton of money at the reservation or set him up a trust fund or whatever?"

Hal should've known better than to flat out tell Ollie he shouldn't do something. He straightened up with a mild frown and puffed out his chest defiantly, "Because the kid needs a dad. He has a guardian there, but…I really feel a connection to this kid. And it's not just because he's good at archery – _brilliant_ at archery, actually. Money is no substitution for having someone that cares about you."

"Ugh…" Hal slumped over a little in exasperation. Of course he'd say something sentimental like that. "Alright, I'm not saying I agree with the decision but I'm not disagreeing for the moment either. Just…what's the kid's name?"

Ollie perked up a bit and his mustache jumped into a big smile, "Roy Harper! He's got a good, strong name."

Hal rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, thinking it over. Maybe a kid could be good for Ollie like Wally was good for Hal – make him mature faster and want to be a better person. He was clearly already proud of the kid. "Okay. Don't mention this to Barry yet – not until I get back from Oa. I know you two aren't exactly close, but Barry's one of the best fathers I've ever seen. If you want pointers from someone, you'll want _him_. Until then, just…think about it some more."

Ollie was nodding as he spoke, looking like he was considering the advice sacred, "Right. I will."

"And I'd go home right now if I were you," Hal snuck a glance over his shoulder where Barry was still smoldering and pacing back and forth restlessly. "Don't worry about _him_ ; I'll smooth things over for you and in two weeks he'll have forgiven everything."

"Should I call him sensei?" Ollie whispered with his eyes cautiously glued to Barry in the distance. "Or Great Teacher Mr. Allen?"

"You should call him 'sir' and then book the next flight to California," Hal advised with a sagely nod.

Ollie sprang upright and called over to Barry with a grand wave, "I'm very sorry about what happened, sir! You and your son have yourselves a great night and I promise to make this up later!"

Barry's glare twisted into confused, narrowed eyes.

"Have fun on your space mission," Ollie slugged Hal in the arm fondly and then sprinted down the street to go hail a cab.

"What were you talking about?" Barry asked suspiciously as he walked over once Ollie was gone.

Hal reached over to tousle Wally's hair. He gave Barry a smile and pointed to the kid, "About how best to counteract a bad scare like that. Ollie suggested candy – _lots_ of candy."

It was clearly a ruse for Wally's benefit, but Barry took it seriously. He nodded slowly and frowned down at Hal's torn shirt pensively, "Sugar _does_ help take the edge off shock…"

"Let's go," he shook his head and slung an arm around Barry as they headed in the opposite direction for the bus stop.

When they got home, they sat Wally in front of the TV with his bag of trick-or-treat loot and played the happiest, most song-filled cartoon movie they could find. Hal scrubbed off all his zombie make-up and changed into his usual clothes. By the end of the movie, Wally was passed out in a sugar coma, lying on the couch between Barry and Hal. He was quietly drooling on Hal's arm and hugging Pavlov, but Hal just tugged a blanket up over his exposed shoulder. When Wally snuggled up to him like this, Hal's heart felt like it was going to burst. He really loved the little redhead.

Barry was lounging against the corner of the couch with his head leaning against the back. He idly nudged a mountain of candy wrappers with his toe and sighed around a lollipop that Wally had generously given him, "He's gonna be so sick later…"

Hal couldn't take his eyes off the little white stick poking out between Barry's lips for some reason. It kept moving slightly side to side and bobbing up suddenly. He started to sweat just thinking about what Barry's tongue was doing to it.

"I'd threaten to make you clean it up, but you get out of it this time since you're leaving in an hour," Barry sighed, and there was a heavy sound of sorrow in his voice when he said it.

"For the prank?" Hal asked, snapping out of his trance. He reached down and stole one of the sour candies he knew Wally disliked, washing it down with a swig of beer.

"That was a really terrible idea," Barry seemed a little upset still. "You know what I thought – especially after Iris."

Hal grinned apologetically, "I tried to leave you a big clue. A car crash? Come on – like a car crash could kill _me_."

He knew Barry couldn't really argue that point. He'd seen Hal take punches from Doomsday and survive. Logically, he should've known that the chances of Hal being killed in a car accident were slim to none, but to be fair…it hadn't really looked like he'd been thinking logically. When he'd seen Barry's face after he popped up from that gurney in the morgue, his expression had been pure panic. Hal felt bad for making him lose it like that, but…he liked the fact that Barry had lost it that badly over _him_.

Barry really didn't seem all that angry anymore, "I'm a little sorry that I punched you."

"I deserved it," Hal shrugged with a light smile. "And you held back; I could tell."

"I'll make sure to break your nose next time should you pull something like that again in the future," Barry said tiredly, but he was grinning. "How's that?"

"Promises, promises…" Hal laughed quietly. They fell into a comfortable silence and Hal found that he was ridiculously content here. It didn't make any sense, but he had a place in this family that he fit into better than his _own_ family.

Ollie's words suddenly echoed in his mind, and Hal frowned at his hands, "Hey…earlier, Ollie said that I was father-ish towards Wally. And he isn't all that observant, so it's gotta be really obvious. Does, uh, that bother you?"

The _last_ thing he wanted was to step on Barry's toes.

"No! Of course not," Barry sat up a little, looking more awake now. "There's nothing wrong with Wally having two dads."

Hal was startled by his choice of words and it must've shown on his face because Barry seemed to realize what he said.

His whole face turned red and he rushed to explain, "Not that that's what we – that's usually with two men who are – and we're not…"

"Yeah…" Hal mumbled, feeling funny.

This time, the silence was not at all comfortable. It seemed to drag on forever, and Hal was fumbling to find something to say when Barry broke the quiet, "I don't like Patty Spivot that way…"

Hal wondered where that statement came from, but he didn't say that out loud. His heart started hammering in his chest and he couldn't deny the weird happiness he felt, "No? I know you said that back in September, but I thought maybe it was because you just weren't ready."

Barry shook his head solemnly, "It's not that. I think I'm ready – I _could_ be ready – just not for her."

Hal looked over at him in surprise, and his lungs stopped working, "Is there someone else?"

He expected Barry to say the name of some random coworker or mom at Wally's school that he saw all the time. He hoped to God that he didn't, but that's what he thought would happen. Instead, Barry looked at _him_. The speedster's blue eyes were unsure, his jaw twitched nervously, and he didn't say a goddamn word.

Without really knowing what he was doing, Hal reached between them and lifted Wally off the couch, careful not to wake him. He silently carried him over to the armchair and was back beside Barry in an instant, trying to scan every feature on his face for any clue he could find as to what he was thinking. The only things he could pick up were the waves of uncertainty and anticipation rolling off him. Hal's hand moved on its own and cupped Barry's jaw, giving the speedster plenty of time to move away if he wanted to – but he didn't. His skin danced under Hal's fingers with a low vibration and that same electric heat jolted him again.

An insane idea struck him suddenly, and Hal wondered what that electricity would feel like on other parts of his body.

Quick as lightning, Barry grabbed the back of Hal's neck and pulled him down so their foreheads were touching. Tiny stars burst in Hal's eyes and electricity burned down his spine and across his shoulders like fire. He sucked in a startled gasp of air, their noses brushing together when he moved. Barry's fingers were threading into his hair and his other hand was closing around Hal's bicep, pulling him closer. Hal had no idea how this was happening. He couldn't _think_ – not with the current running through him and the look in Barry's eyes.

His head was already buzzing, but Barry didn't relent any. The power kept surging hotter and hotter, and Hal decided that _he_ wouldn't yield either. He shoved Barry into the couch and shifted his head to the side, pressing their mouths together hungrily.

It was less like kissing a human being, and more like trying to make out with a live wire. Hal's whole body was tingling from the contact and the tips of his fingers and toes were starting to go numb. There was no way Barry did this to _everyone_ he touched – he'd never be able to keep it from people that he was a meta. So, why did it happen to _him_?

Barry kissed back forcefully, wrapping one arm around Hal's waist and tugging him down so they were flush against one another. Hal blindly pushed Barry's knees apart and slipped one hand under his shirt, feeling the sharp contours of the muscles below his ribs. The constant, low hum coming from Barry's body almost made it sound like he was purring, and Hal found it fascinating. He pulled Barry's head back and kissed his way down the speedster's throat, feeling pleased when the hum got louder. Hal heard him give a small groan when he bit the skin just beneath his ear.

Barry directed Hal's face back for another heated kiss, and that's when there was a loud crackling noise and the sound of several small things hitting the floor. They both jolted upright and looked over where Wally was lying on the chair. He'd knocked over a bag of candy in his sleep and it had spilled everywhere, but Wally was still out cold.

Hal relaxed a little and looked back at Barry. Then it hit him what they were doing. Barry was pinned beneath him with his hair completely messed up and his shirt half off, and Hal was kneeling between his legs. Barry kept breathing heavily and staring up at him with a stunned expression.

"What did we just do?" Hal leapt off him immediately, nearly falling over the coffee table in his haste to get some distance between them.

Barry kind of looked like he was trying to speak but couldn't find any words.

"Oh God…" Hal whispered in horror, covering his mouth and backing up even more. Why had they done that?

"Hal, calm down," Barry said unconvincingly, wiping his own mouth vacantly. He stood up and looked at Hal like he was numb.

Meanwhile, Hal's panicking was going into overdrive. He paced aimlessly in different directions, staring at the floor and running his hands through his hair over and over.

Barry seemed alarmed now. He held out his hands to Hal nonthreateningly, seeming to sense that he was two seconds away from a meltdown, "It doesn't have to mean anything. We can just forget about it! Hal, say something…"

"I have to go," he turned around suddenly and bolted for the front door. Hal was outside and almost down the front steps before Barry zipped after him.

"What? Hal!" Barry was very careful not to touch him – and that was good, because Hal's skin was still highly charged.

Hal sidestepped him, refusing to look at Barry directly.

" _Hal!_ " he darted in front of him, so Hal used his ring and lifted into the air out of his reach. "Wait! _Please!_ "

"I can't," Hal mumbled inaudibly.

 _"Hal!_ " Barry shouted after him desperately. "You don't have to talk to me, but at least say goodbye to Wally!"

That almost made Hal hesitate. He imagined Wally waking up to find him gone without saying anything and it broke his heart, but he couldn't go back. Hal tried to ignore Barry's calls and he flew away from Central City as fast as his ring would take him.

He didn't come back after his mission was over.


	9. Chapter 9

Barry woke in the middle of the night to the sound of his son crying. He violently threw off the covers and ran across the dark hallway to Wally's room. The bed was empty and the sheets had been dragged off to one side like Wally had gotten caught in them when he crawled out. Barry dropped to his knees and lifted up the dust ruffle to check under the bed, "Wally?"

A dark silhouette shifted far in the back and he could hear small sniffles and sobs. Barry sighed and sat down on the carpet, leaning his head against the mattress. Nights like this were nothing new. It was going on seven weeks now of Wally having nearly constant nightmares. Each one seemed to be worse than the last.

"Wally, please tell me what's wrong," Barry groaned tiredly. Night after night, Wally refused to say anything to him about the dreams and he wouldn't say why. "I can't help you stop feeling scared if I don't know what you're dreaming about."

"I can't tell…" Wally cried.

"Why not?" Barry tried not to be irritated. He was just frustrated after two months of this and it was hard to be patient.

His voice came out small and pitiful, "Hal said not to."

Barry immediately frowned and his chest ached painfully at the mention of Hal's name. He shut his eyes against the memories of the last night they'd seen each other and tried to be angry instead of depressed. It wasn't difficult. Barry was plenty pissed off about how suddenly Hal had left and the cold shoulder he'd been receiving ever since. "I don't care what Hal said. He's not your father. _I_ am. Now, I need you to tell me what your nightmare was about right now. This can't keep going on. You aren't getting enough sleep when you keep waking up every half hour."

There was no noise from under the bed for a long minute, but Wally eventually crawled out and stared up at Barry with tear-filled eyes. He played with the bottom of his PJs sadly, "…I keep seeing Auntie and Opposite Flash."

Barry wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it wasn't _that_. He leaned forward and smoothed Wally's sweat dampened hair away from his forehead, "Professor Zoom…?"

Wally nodded quietly, his whole body shaking like a leaf.

"I thought you didn't remember anything about that night," Barry whispered. His throat was quickly closing up.

"I can remember a little bit now," Wally wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

Barry stayed very still for a long time as he tried to figure out what to do. He'd been praying that Wally had been too young and too scared to form any memories about the night Iris was killed. For years, Wally never brought it up so Barry assumed he was right. But, it looked like Wally had just subconsciously blocked the memories out – and now they were resurfacing.

He shifted so that his back was resting against the foot of the bed and hooked one arm around Wally to pull him closer, "Why wouldn't Hal want you to tell me this?"

Wally cuddled against him and gripped his shirt tightly, "He said that he didn't want you to worry."

Barry rested his head on top of Wally's, trying to cut off any confusing feelings he had for Hal before they began, "Tell me about the dream."

"I was putting magazines away for Auntie and I heard tornado sounds," Wally recounted slowly. "Then she started yelling and I heard a lot of things get knocked over. I was scared, but I went to see if Auntie was okay and I saw a bad man that looked like Flash, but he was yellow. He was hurting Auntie and he didn't see me, but Auntie saw me and she told me to run."

"What…?" Barry asked brokenly. He hadn't heard any of this before. Wally hadn't been able to answer any of the detectives' questions when they tried to figure out if he'd witnessed the attack.

"She hit him really hard and did _this_ at me," Wally made a desperate looking gesture with his arm like he was trying to shoo someone away.

Iris had fought like hell, heavily injured and dying, just to buy Wally a few seconds to run away and to keep Zoom from noticing him. That realization slammed into Barry so hard that he couldn't breathe. She'd saved Wally's life and all this time Barry never knew.

"So I ran, but this time he chased me and I couldn't get away," the redhead hugged his knees and his eyes started filling with tears again. Wally's voice choked up again and Barry could just barely make out what he was saying. "What if he comes back?"

A large fissure cracked down the middle of Barry's heart and he felt lower than he had in years, "Wally, Professor Zoom is in prison all the way down in Louisiana. Why would you think he'd come back to hurt you?"

"Because Hal is gone!" Wally insisted forcefully. He stood up, and terrified tears ran down his cheeks. "He promised that as long as he was here, Professor Zoom couldn't hurt me. But he's not here anymore! Professor Zoom might come back now!"

Barry took Wally's shoulders in both hands and firmly turned him so that they were eye to eye, "He's _not_ coming back. I swear it. And if he ever does, I'll protect you. I'd die before I let anything happen to you – regardless if Hal's here or not. Do you understand me?"

Wally had calmed down enough that he wasn't crying anymore. He nodded slowly that he understood, and Barry pulled him in for a quick hug before lightly pushing him towards the door, "Good. Go ahead and sleep in my room for the night. I'll be right there, okay?"

"I love you, Daddy," Wally hugged him once more around the middle and ran across the hall with his Flash blanket in tow.

"I love you too," Barry didn't move from his spot. He just stood there in the dark, bathed in light emanating from the Green Lantern nightlight plugged into the wall. The Lantern symbol shone like a beacon and Barry was starkly reminded of how much trouble Wally had sleeping without it. It had always made it seem like there was a little bit of Hal in the room.

Barry glared at the plastic light.

The night Hal left, Barry had panicked. He couldn't believe what they'd done – or that he'd even wanted to. On some level, he guessed that he'd known he was starting to be attracted to his best friend. He didn't know if it was because he was lonely or because of how much he'd gotten used to having Hal in his life, but it was confusing either way. They'd basically mauled each other on the couch and then Hal had run away right after. Barry had been convinced that they'd screwed up their friendship so badly that there was no recovering from it.

The next morning, he'd calmed down significantly. Barry had accepted that what happened had happened and there was nothing he could do to change it. In fact, he didn't have any desire to change it. His heart had been sneaky about it, but Barry could tell that his love for Hal as a friend had gradually shifted to a different kind of love. It was scary, but exciting. Hal had kissed _him_ , so that meant he felt at least marginally the same way. He'd taken off immediately after, but that was understandable. They would have a chance to talk it out when Hal got back from his mission. Barry's main priority was preserving their friendship – whether they decided to explore their feelings or not.

So, he hadn't gotten worried until three weeks had passed and there was no sign of Hal. Barry thought the mission had just run long until he saw Hal on the news one day. He'd prevented a bridge collapse by holding it together with a light construct while it was being safely evacuated. After that, Barry tried calling once a day, but Hal never picked up. He never called back. He never stopped by Central to see them.

That's when Barry knew that Hal was avoiding him.

The first month had been the worst, because Barry still had some hope that Hal would talk to him eventually. He thought surely Hal couldn't stay away from Wally that long, but he did. Hal was completely ignoring their existence. Barry saw him in person a few times when the Justice League was called in on a mission. They executed perfect teamwork, as always, but Hal refused to talk to him directly – he stopped speaking to everyone really. The only Leaguer Barry had seen him interact with semi-normally was Oliver, and even that seemed strained.

Wally had taken it the hardest. He'd become so attached to Hal over the years that he didn't understand why he was suddenly gone. He cried for Hal every other day exactly the same way he'd cried for Iris when she'd died. Wally couldn't understand why Hal wasn't there anymore and Barry didn't have an explanation for him.

Now, it had been nearly two months since Halloween. Barry didn't expect Hal to come back anymore. His feelings were a twisted mess of hurt, anger, confusion, and longing. He wanted some kind of closure over what happened so that he wasn't constantly rehashing things over in his mind, but he would _not_ beg for Hal's attention. And why should he? _Hal_ was the one being childish over everything. Hal should be the one to fix it.

Barry set his jaw angrily and stalked over to the nightlight, ripping it out of the socket and tossing it onto the floor. The room went pitch black, so Barry blindly felt his way to the door and walked out with his fists clenched in determination. He and Wally would be fine.

They didn't need Hal.

Wally slept just fine with Barry watching over him, but _he_ didn't get even a wink of sleep. He just lay awake for hours brooding over Hal until the sun came up. After that, their Saturday morning and afternoon went by like usual. Barry cooked Wally special pancakes that he only made when they were having a particularly bad day – and that seemed to help banish any lingering thoughts of Wally's nightmare. Then they went out to play in the late December snow. They'd had a pretty mild blizzard hit the week before, so the white powder was piled up almost three feet high.

Wally immediately dove right in and burrowed an intricate tunnel system through their backyard while Barry watched from the porch. He _wanted_ to be upset and simmer over Hal's idiocy, but Wally's excitement was infectious and soon he was smiling and laughing with his son. Together they rolled piles of snow into three huge sections to assemble into a snowman and Barry pretended to have trouble lifting them into place until Wally lent a hand.

He and Wally perfected their snowball packing technique, argued over who made the most effective snow fort, and spent a good two hours waging a one-sided snowball fight against their sorry looking snowman. They were having so much fun that Barry waited as long as he could – until Wally's whole face was as red as his hair – to drag them both back inside to warm up. He turned on the TV to a Christmas special and fixed Wally a mug of hot chocolate while they both went through half a box of tissues in record time.

Barry speed read a few books while Wally was busy coloring and snapped the last one closed when he was finished, "Hey, buddy, I'm gonna go make some lunch. Why don't you write your letter to Santa while you wait?"

"Okay," Wally pushed his coloring book aside and pulled out a fresh sheet of construction paper to start his list on. "But isn't this a little late? Today is the 23rd."

"Yeah, well, Santa is magic. He works really fast," Barry said as he moved out of sight into the kitchen. Truthfully, he'd already finished buying all of Wally's presents weeks ago. He just wanted to make sure there wasn't something Wally really wanted that he'd missed. Superspeed really was awful for enabling his bad procrastination habits.

"That's not a plausible explanation," he heard Wally's skeptical voice from the living room.

Barry smiled as he smeared peanut butter on a slice of bread, "Sure it is. You can explain anything with magic."

"Hardly…"

He had to laugh, and reminded himself to tell Zatara that Wally didn't believe in magic the next time he saw him. Barry had hired a magician for Wally's fourth birthday party, and the kid had spent the entire show debunking all the magician's parlor tricks. Hal had laughed so hard that he nearly choked to death on birthday cake.

Barry cut off the memory and took Wally's sandwich out to him on a plate. The redhead was licking the seal on an envelope and pressing it shut. Barry set the plate in front of him and opened a juice box, "That was fast. You sure you got everything in that letter?"

Wally nodded happily, "I've thought this through."

"Well, alright," Barry laughed at his businesslike tone and took the letter that had been addressed to the North Pole in red and green crayon. "I'm gonna go put this in the mailbox. I'll be right back."

He slipped on a heavy coat and went out the front door, peeking in the front windows to make sure Wally wasn't watching. Then he carefully slid his finger through the envelope and pulled out the folded up letter inside. He expected a long list with things like a bicycle or a rocket ship on it, but when he read Wally's scribbled handwriting he found that it was very short.

'Dear Santa, I only want one thing this Christmas and that is for my Uncle Hal to come back and live with us. Could you do that please? I really really really miss him. Thanks! - Wally'

Barry's hands shook as he read the crayon words. Unbidden, his eyes started stinging with stunned tears and he sank down to the wooden planks of the porch. He clenched the letter in his fist and covered his mouth with his other hand as his chest started aching again. His son only wanted one thing for Christmas, and Barry couldn't give it to him. His heartbreak returned tenfold and he let go of all his anger towards Hal. He could forgive him if he just came back and apologized for leaving.

Barry missed him so much.

He sucked in a deep breath of icy cold air and got back on his feet. God, he didn't know what he wanted. He couldn't even decide if he was angry or sad.

Barry crumpled up the letter and quietly placed it in the trash bin beside the steps. He went back inside where it was warm and gave Wally a big smile when he looked up. Barry was just pulling off his snow boots when the communicator in his ear went off with J'onn's clinical but urgent voice.

_"We have a League-wide S.O.S. from Aquaman. He's requesting assistance preventing the abduction of Atlantis' queen."_

Barry froze. Someone was trying to kidnap Arthur's wife?

_"The terrorist Black Manta is behind the attack. All available Leaguers proceed to the coast of Maine with haste."_

Haste, huh? Well, Barry was the best man for that. He ran to the phone and started dialing Jay's number, "Wally, one of my friends really needs my help with something. Will you be alright if Grandpa Jay watches you for a few hours?"

"Yes, Daddy," Wally answered placidly from the living room.

"You're such a good boy," Barry told him hurriedly while the phone rang on the other end.

 _"Hello?"_ Jay answered cheerfully.

"Can you babysit Wally for a little while?" Barry dashed upstairs and retrieved his Flash ring from a false bottom in his medicine cabinet behind the bathroom mirror. "There's been an emergency and I need to be at the east coast like right now."

 _"This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the brouhaha going on in the Atlantic, would it? It's all over the news; Aquaman's tearing through Black Manta's army basically by himself,"_ Jay sounded like he was mildly impressed.

"That would be it," Barry jammed the ring onto his finger. "What kind of numbers am I looking at over there?"

_"Well, it looked like about six of the Atlantean royal guard versus a couple hundred of Black Manta's troopers."_

"Great," Barry sighed.

_"Go head over there and even the odds some. I'll be in Central soon."_

"Thanks, Jay," he hung up the phone and dashed back downstairs to ruffle Wally's hair before darting out the back door. "I'll be right back, little man. Be good for Grandpa Jay!"

Once he was outside, Barry changed into his Flash costume and tapped into every ounce of his powers to get him to Maine in minutes. He aimed for the shore and followed the sounds of screams and people running away. The battle was raging about a mile off shore, but that wasn't any problem for Barry. He sped right on top of the water, weaving towards the army of Manta troopers decked out in armored, black suits and masks. They moved around Aquaman and his scattered guard, corralling them into one spot and laying down heavy fire. Each henchman was on an array of advanced, weaponized jet skis or Manta-flyers that attacked in ever-shifting, highly coordinated patterns.

Barry sped around Arthur, stirring up the water around them into a weak waterspout to give them a moment of reprieve, "I'm here! What's the situation?"

Arthur hurled his trident at one of the sleek black jet skis as it passed, and the golden weapon speared the vessel right in the engine. It exploded with an abrupt bang and sent both manta troopers into the water. Arthur swam out to retrieve his trident as Barry chased down and disabled five more of the jet skis trying to shoot them with red energy rays. He was shaking with such rage that the water dripping off him could have been boiling into steam, "They took Mera!"

"Where is she?" Barry ripped as many of the ray guns as he could find right out of the hands of Black Manta's troopers and dumped them in the sea a few states away before zipping back.

"I don't know. The guard and I chased them all the way from Atlantis and I knew we were behind because I could sense where they were in the water, but that's gone now," Arthur rose up on the back of some kind of terrifying looking giant fish that Barry had never seen before. "None of the marine life can spot them either."

"Then that means they're on land," Barry glanced back at the grey looking shore as he sped in a circle around Arthur when a lucky shot slammed into his shoulder and knocked him off balance. He tripped on top of the waves and went crashing into the freezing water, gasping out all his air in a rush of bubbles. The shock of sudden cold locked up his muscles and Barry struggled to swim back up for air. He tried to right himself when a large, glowing platform materialized below him and rose up to lift him above the surface.

He got to his hands and knees and took in a deep breath of air, feeling the wind slice through to the bone. Barry studied the transparent green raft he was on and quickly found Hal hovering high up in the air in his Lantern uniform. He almost shouted out 'thanks' in reflex, but stubbornly kept his mouth shut, insisting that the sudden racing of his heart had absolutely nothing to do with seeing Hal again.

"Are you alright?!" Arthur asked through gritted teeth. He was grappling with Black Manta over his trident, each trying to spear the other with the prongs. Manta released a deadly beam of energy at Arthur's face, but the Atlantean king ducked out of the way and slammed his elbow into his visor.

"Fine," Barry inspected the burnt patch of fabric covering his shoulder and rolled it to shake off the lingering pain. His metabolism was already shifting through the myriad of bruises it would take to heal. Alright, so it wasn't a lucky shot that had hit him; it was Black Manta. Barry looked around the battlefield at superspeed and didn't see a trace of Queen Mera. So, Black Manta wasn't personally escorting her anywhere. _That_ was unusual.

Hal grabbed Black Manta with a giant hook construct and unceremoniously flung him away into the water. He shielded them against a barrage of retaliation fire and dropped low enough to speak, "This idiot brought half of his army to kidnap a queen? That's stupid. Hasn't he ever heard of stealth?"

Arthur twirled his trident back to a fighting stance and glared at the terrorist leader as one of his lackeys picked him up on a jet ski, "He needed half his army just to take her down. Mera must be unconscious if they've gotten this far with her. The entire _ocean_ is her weapon."

Barry had only seen Mera in action once, and it had been one hell of a sight. She was a powerful sorceress and could command the sea to do whatever she wanted through hydrokinesis. Arthur was right; she had to be in a lot of trouble if she hadn't fought back – or hadn't been able to.

A squad of Manta's troops closed in on them from behind and Barry planted his feet firmly on Hal's construct, swirling his arms to create two lethal vortexes that he aimed at the watercraft. The force slammed one ski hard into the water and hurled another into the air along with its riders. The third jet ski peeled off to escape and headed right beneath Hal's position.

The rider was a female leaning low over the controls. She thrust one arm out over the water and the lines of her armor started glowing bright blue.

"Watch out! That's Siren. She's Mera's sister," Arthur shouted a warning, throwing his trident right at her. It grazed the trooper's helmet, knocking it loose and unseating her from the watercraft. "She can make the same hard water constructs as my wife!"

She landed on the surface of the water in a graceful roll and ripped the helmet off. Long, shockingly violet hair whipped free, and Siren fixed fully luminous blue eyes on Hal. Her hands swirled over the waves as she stood on the surface as if it was nothing, pulling the water together into two lethal spears. Siren took them both in hand and launched one dead center at Hal's chest.

"Hard water constructs, huh?" Hal deflected the missile with a solid, hard light construct of his own. The spear flipped away end over end and he lowered the light shield, his mouth slanted into a smirk, "That's not all that impressive."

Siren threw the other spear at him and raised both arms above her head. A massive column of water shot up behind her, twisting and contorting into a translucent sea dragon that arced towards Hal with the force of a locomotive. It crashed into his shield and sent them both splashing into the ocean. From beneath the waves, part of a glowing green sword sliced through the air, but the dragon was gone. Hal burst back out of the water and shot right at Siren. The two fought intensely, churning the water like a hurricane and filling the sky with flashes of green light like fireworks.

Barry systematically dashed to each of the Manta squads, dodging lasers and pummeling dents into armor with punches thrown like machine-gun fire. In the center of the fight, Arthur was like a whirlwind. He speared Manta-flyers left and right, and flung troopers away with his bare hands like he was banishing them from the ocean. But, no matter how hard he fought, he couldn't even advance an inch towards the shore. Barry could've made it in a second, but he couldn't leave his friends in the middle of this. They were being overrun and losing the offensive. Every second they wasted, Mera was being taken further and further away. Soon, they'd have no way to track her down and the trail would go cold.

_"Get out of the water now!"_

Just as Barry was thinking that the voice sounded like Clark, a green band closed around his waist and lifted him into the air. Arthur and his Atlantean royal guard were given the same treatment, hoisted up clear of the waves by Hal's power ring.

Clark came whistling through the air and stopped beside where Barry was hanging. He took in a deep gulp of air and used his super breath to chill the surface of the water into a solid sheet of ice. Many of Black Manta's henchmen were thrown from their watercraft as the vessels jerked to a halt and others were trapped in the ice itself.

Hal let them all down on top of the ice and Clark sped in front of Arthur to block a blast from Black Manta, who was free and perched atop the wing of a crooked Manta-flyer. He threw several small sting ray shaped devices that detonated on impact with the ice, dislodging the vessel and righting it in the water. Manta dropped into the hatch and the flyer sank beneath the waves without warning.

He was going to try and escape!

Behind them all, Siren gave a great scream of effort and all of the ice started breaking apart in a spider web of cracks.

"Don't underestimate her," Arthur pointed at the violet-haired Atlantean trapped in the ice. "If she's within a mile of water, she's deadly."

"I'll keep her busy," Hal created a harpoon launcher with his ring and aimed it at Siren. "You guys go after Mera and Black Manta!"

Clark turned towards the shoreline in the distance and squinted as he looked through the layers of concrete, steel, and flesh, "Flash, five of Manta's henchmen have her in a van moving southwest at seventy miles per hour. You can get to them the fastest. Aquaman and I can pursue Black Manta."

"I'll bring her back," Barry promised, mentally mapping a path through the ice floes to get up enough speed to run on water.

Arthur didn't say anything, but he sent Barry an intensely grateful nod. He and Clark dove into the icy water while Hal fought to restrain Siren, and Barry took off in the direction Clark had told him. He was on land in seconds and tearing through the streets of Rockland. He took every main road, side street, and highway until he came across a large black moving van being driven by two Manta agents.

Barry fell back a few feet when the passenger side door flung open and a trooper leaned out to fire at him. He skirted around the lasers and zipped to the other side of the van for cover, easily keeping pace as it sped up. There was one sure fire way to stop them…

Barry unscrewed the lug nuts from all four tires and removed the wheels, stacking them up neatly on the side of the road. The van fell onto the rotors and slid on the asphalt, screeching and shooting sparks as it went. It hit a guard rail separating the road from a deep ditch and shuddered in place from the impact. Barry pulled the driver and passenger from the cab and tossed them unceremoniously down the embankment.

He dashed around to the back and ripped open the doors. A wave of intense heat hit him in the face like he'd opened the door on an oven. Barry accidentally sucked in a lungful of scorching air and ended up gasping for breath. It had to be nearly two hundred degrees in there! Twelve red hot coils lined the walls and ceiling inside the van, radiating heat like a furnace. And lying right in the middle of the floor was Mera, unconscious and crumpled into a heap. Her red hair was damp and matted to her skin with sweat.

Barry climbed into the back and lifted Mera in his arms. Intense dry heat was extremely dangerous for Atlanteans. He sped over to a snowdrift on the side of the road and laid her out flat. It felt silly, but Barry didn't know what else to do to bring her temperature down in a hurry. He just started scooping snow right on top of her until she was completely covered.

"I've got her," Barry said over the communicator. "But I think she's really dehydrated. How do I help-?"

A laser beam shot past his shoulder and Barry ducked instinctively. Dammit. The two Manta lackeys he'd tossed earlier were climbing back up to the road. There were still cars slowly inching by on the highway, so Barry elected to keep the collateral damage to a minimum and draw fire away from the bystanders. He dashed down the hill, clothes lining one of the troopers and landing him flat on his back.

The second trooper raised his weapon at Barry and a thin stream of water coiled up behind him like a cobra. It lashed out, knocking the gun out of his hands and whipping him so hard that it dented his armor. Both troopers were down and out cold. Barry looked up at the road and saw Mera hunched over the guard rail with her eyes glowing bright green and one hand outstretched in a claw. He zipped over to her side and grabbed her shoulders to keep her steady, "Sorry about the snow. I didn't really know what else to do."

Mera shook her head to show she wasn't angry, tucking her long red hair behind her ears, "Thank you. It helped."

"Wait here one second," Barry ran back for the two troopers and locked them both inside the back of the van. He dusted off his hands and jerked his thumb at the doors. "There we go. Justice."

 _"Flash? Is Mera alright?! Your last transmission got cut off."_ Arthur's frantic voice asked over Barry's earpiece.

He plucked the communicator out of his ear and offered it to Mera like it was any other day and he was handing over a phone, "Your husband wants to talk to you. I want it noted that there was zero concern for how _I_ was doing."

She took the earpiece and held it close to her own ear, fiddling with the device to figure out how it worked, "Arthur, I'm alright. Listen to me: Do _not_ attack Bialya."

"Bialya?" Barry frowned at Mera, completely baffled. He could hear the two Manta troopers frantically banging on the inside of the van to be let out. "Why would he?"

Mera ignored him and answered Arthur on the other end, "We'll be right there. I'll explain everything."

She handed the communicator back and Barry took his cue. He picked Mera up and carried her back to the ocean where Arthur and Clark were gathered together on one large ice floe. Siren was tied up and being watched by the armored Atlanteans Arthur had brought with him. Barry set Mera down on the ice and Arthur immediately reached out for her, but she was in no mood for a reunion. Mera held him back with one hand, "This whole thing is a set up. Black Manta was hired by Queen Bee to goad you into leading Atlantis into a war with Bialya. Queen Bee wants the current government overthrown so she can take over."

Realization dawned on Barry and his jaw hung open a little in shock, "And trash Atlantis' global reputation in the process…"

"Why would I want to attack Bialya in the first place?" Arthur asked, looking just as confused.

"Flash reached me before we got to the teleporter, but they were going to stash me in the desert and frame Bialya's ruler for the kidnapping," Mera recounted angrily. She looked furious that terrorists had planned to use her to wound her own country.

"And I'm sure it was more than a bonus for Black Manta to see Atlantis take a hit for retaliating," Clark looked deeply unsettled at the massive international incident they'd nearly dodged.

"Where _is_ Black Manta?" Flash looked around at the handful of troopers they'd captured and found no trace of their leader.

Arthur looked like someone had forced sour milk down his throat, "He got away…"

"His ship disappeared as soon as we got close," Clark explained grimly. "It looks like we aren't the only ones with teleportation capabilities."

"We'll need to do damage control before anyone gets wind of the story," Barry rubbed the back of his neck. "And Colonel Harjavti will need to be warned in case Manta and Queen Bee had a backup plan."

"I'll fly to Bialya and give him the heads up," Clark offered.

"Mera and I will take her sister and Black Manta's henchmen back to Atlantis," Arthur strapped his trident to his back and signaled for the royal guard to gather their prisoners. Mera lifted her own sister by the hair and slugged her in the face when Siren spit at her. That was one family talk that Barry was grateful he didn't have to deal with.

He glanced up at the sky to look for any sign of Hal, but found nothing. Barry already knew the answer, but he couldn't help asking, "Where's GL?"

Clark gave him an odd look, "He took off as soon as I got back to the surface – said he had something important he needed to do."

Yeah. He had to take off before there was a chance that he had to talk to Barry. Hal hadn't said two words to him – not even to coordinate during the fight.

"Hey," Clark placed a hand on Barry's shoulder in concern once Arthur and Mera cleared the ice floe and retreated into the water. "Is everything alright? You haven't exactly been yourself lately. And…neither has Hal. Did something happen? I've never seen you two so clammed up around each other before."

Barry didn't try to pretend around Clark. There wouldn't be any point. He just respectfully shrugged off his hand and stretched for the run back to Central, "I'll be fine."


	10. Chapter 10

Visiting Gotham was always a little disorienting for Barry. The shadiest city he'd ever been used to was Keystone, and that was a bright, sunny haven in comparison. But he did like Gotham. It had a lot of spirit and it made Barry feel a little more powerful when he was here – reckless even.

Visiting the Batcave was far more sobering.

Barry finished vibrating through layers and layers of solid limestone, following the beacon that Bruce had set off for him. He'd been driven in before and brought in by zeta beam, but never before had he been trusted with the actual location. It looked suspiciously like it was directly below Wayne Manor… which seemed both handy and damning should anyone unfriendly discover it.

He came out of the cave wall right beside the Batmobile's 'runway' and ran down the levels until he found Bruce sitting at his giant supercomputer. He had a sour look on his face as he glared at the newsfeed of President Harjavti and Arthur shaking hands in front of the United Nations flag. Cameras flashed and reporters scrambled to get their questions answered.

"Soooo…crisis officially averted?" Barry strolled up to the massive screen and leaned against the back of Bruce's chair.

"It looks that way," he switched to another news channel, most likely checking _all_ the different spins that each network was putting on the whole incident.

Atlantis and Bialya had decided to go public with what happened and fully disclose Black Manta and Queen Bee's plot to the world. No one had really been sure how the general public would react, so the League had been on high alert all day. Barry had spent most of the morning and afternoon sweeping through Bialya at superspeed and spying on the populace to gauge their reactions to the press conference.

"But it'll take more than twenty-four hours to know for sure," Bruce tented his fingers together and it sounded like he was grinding his teeth. "What did you pick up in Bialya?"

"Nothing bad," Barry pushed off from the chair and idly wandered around. Bruce was the one who sent him on the mission. "Most people were just grateful that a giant tidal wave wasn't crashing down on them. If I had to break it down into numbers, I'd say about a quarter of the population doesn't seem to care, half whole-heartedly believe that it was a terrorist plot, and the other quarter still think Arthur is going to sink the continent."

Bruce's eyes narrowed like he was trying to figure out what Barry was thinking, "How is that 'nothing bad'?"

"I think for the most part, the only people who are worried just don't understand the culture differences."

"Cultural differences?" Bruce raised an eyebrow at him, probably wondering what that had to do with anything.

Barry nodded avidly, moving his hands around as he spoke, "Yeah. Y'know, Bialya's a desert and Atlantis is at the bottom of the ocean. That's about as different as you can get, and people fear what they don't understand. I think it would go a long way to start something like a representative exchange – send some Atlanteans to Bialya and some Bialyans to…well, no that wouldn't work. All those atmospheres of pressure would crush them. But, you get the idea. The rest of the world never gets to see Atlanteans, so they're still kinda like scary myths. I bet a lot of Bialyans would stop seeing them as invaders if Arthur sent a few to hang around the surface for awhile."

"An exchange isn't a bad idea," Bruce seemed to genuinely agree. "We'll have to see how the situation plays out. It might not even be necessary."

"Well, don't say that _I_ came up with it," Barry made an uncomfortable face. "The last thing I wanna do is tell Arthur how to run his kingdom. I'm about as good at politics as Hal is with-"

He trailed off and went completely silent, glaring down at his feet in fury at himself. Why the hell couldn't he _let this go_?

Bruce stared at him out of the corner of his eye, no doubt studying the way Barry sloppily composed himself again. He was one of the most perceptive people in the world, but he didn't say a word about it and Barry was grateful for the mercy, "You're the only one who hasn't constantly been bothering me about the space station I'm commissioning for the League."

Barry latched onto the subject change like a leech. He sat on the edge of the console and clasped his hands together, "I kinda figured you had it all covered."

Unsurprisingly, Bruce fixed him with a flat, stoic stare and said nothing.

"Alright, fine." Barry sighed. He crossed his arms unhappily at Bruce seeing through his bullshit. "It's an enclosed box of air in the middle of space and I'm just a touch claustrophobic. I'm not very stoked about that being our new headquarters."

Bruce's eyes flickered up to the pitch black ceiling overhead, "…You're in a cave right now."

"Yeah, a cave I can vibrate through the walls of," Barry held out his arms wide and waved them around. "If I try that with the walls of the space station, I'd kind of suffocate."

"Well, you have roughly seven years to get over it," Bruce turned his chair back to the computer and started tapping away at keys, pulling up schematics of the satellite to look over.

Barry sighed and scratched his chin, "I don't know _why_ people think you're lacking in compassion."

"You want compassion? Go find yourself a nice therapist. I'll pay for it."

"Wow, you might want to get a glass of water to go with that dry sense of humor," Barry scanned every scrap of information on the monitors in seconds. One word kept popping up over all the blueprints and it caught his eye. "The Watchtower? Is that what we're calling it?"

"Clark thought it would be a 'friendly' sounding name to the rest of the world," Bruce muttered derisively.

"I thought this 'Watchtower' was going to be a secret. Highly classified. Don't tell anyone, even Jay Garrick," Barry listed off the same words Bruce had said to him at the League briefing on the space station.

"We're not telling anyone," he put a big emphasis on the _not_ part of that. "But Clark has recently decided to act like everyone's mother, so if this shuts him up I'll let him have it."

Barry went very quiet and forced his mouth into a thin line as he fought to keep from laughing. He had a perfect mental image of Batman and Superman squabbling over what to call their super secret space headquarters.

"Speaking of Clark…"

The speedster jerked himself out of his daydream and sat up a little straighter, "Hmm?"

Bruce was watching him sideways again, "He's noticed that you haven't been yourself for a few months now, and he's not the only one. You've been distracted, depressed, and unusually quiet. Clark seems to think you could benefit from talking to a friend."

When Barry fumbled for some excuse or a way to brush it off but came up empty, he just chewed at his lip anxiously and withered under the force of the Batglare.

"What's strange is that I've seen the same changes in Hal," Bruce said slowly, never breaking eye contact to let Barry know that he knew something was going on. "Your problem wouldn't have anything to do with him, would it?"

Barry surprised himself by standing up suddenly and shooting Bruce an angry warning glare, "I don't want to talk about Hal right now – especially not on Christmas Eve."

"What's wrong about today?" Bruce's deep voice became terse and businesslike, and his eyebrows pulled downwards as he scrutinized Barry. He didn't know why he was trying to hide anything. Bruce could figure it out if he wanted to.

He thought about whether or not he should tell Bruce what had happened with Hal. If anyone could keep a secret, it was him. Barry let his shoulders sag and he remembered the nightmare his son had the other night, "I had Wally write up a Christmas list to Santa yesterday and the only thing he asked for was Hal to come home. And I can't even get Hal to speak to me, much less come to visit…"

"What happened between you two?" He had Bruce's full attention.

It wasn't like Barry was embarrassed or anything to admit that he'd aggressively made out with another man. It was just a little awkward discussing his love life with Batman, no matter how well they knew each other. "We uh…got a bit 'friendlier' than usual one night, if you know what I mean. I don't really think either of us knew what we were doing, and it happened so fast… Anyways, Hal freaked out and bolted before we had a chance to talk about it. He's been avoiding me ever since."

Bruce didn't seem surprised or disgusted at the admission. He just kept the same expression like he didn't understand what the problem was, "Have you gone to _him_ yet?"

"Uh…no…?" Barry was caught off guard. What had seemed like a completely sound reason before didn't seem very good right now. "I didn't want to…go after him, because…I didn't want him to have the upper hand."

The stoic look he was getting quickly turned judgmental and one of Bruce's eyebrows arched up, "And I thought Hal was the child."

His first instinct was to get defensive, but Barry knew deep down that Bruce was right. He expelled all his anger in a sigh and tried to rub the headache out of his eyes, "Yeah, alright, I know I haven't handled this well. I just didn't know what to do at first and then Hal started ignoring me so I got mad. I don't even care if he regrets what happened at this point, I just hate how much this is affecting Wally."

"What's wrong with your son?" Bruce's frown deepened and he looked much more interested now.

"What isn't wrong with him?" Barry held his hands up helplessly and his gaze dropped to the floor. "He's been having nightmares, he's sad all the time, and he asked me the other day if something bad happened to Hal. I knew how attached he was to Hal, but he's acting like he lost another parent. It breaks my heart to see him so upset. Wally's already gone through so much and he's only six."

When Barry looked back up again, he nearly jumped out of his skin. Bruce was glaring at something that Barry couldn't see, his eyes full of so much fury that it was frightening. He tentatively put one hand on Bruce's shoulder armor to bring him back from wherever his mind was, "Bruce…?"

He stood up from the computer terminal and began stalking towards the Batmobile parked on the turntable.

"Is everything okay?" Barry took a few uncertain steps after him, but made no real attempt to follow.

"I have to take care of something important," Bruce replied gruffly. The driver's side door swung up at his approach and he fluidly climbed into the seat, pulling his cowl back up. "Don't worry; I'll talk to Hal."

"Uh, that's really not necessary. He's not-" Barry held out one hand like it would stop him, but the door shut again. The Batmobile's engine roared to life like a black panther getting ready to spring into action and the turntable rotated to point it at the runway. "I…guess I should get going then… Wally's probably tired of the Dibny's place by now and wants me to pick him up. So we can spend the second half of Christmas Eve together…"

Wheels squealed on metal and Bruce took off out of the cave in a rush of smoke, leaving Barry standing alone and trying to figure out what he'd said that had pissed him off so badly.

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Hal and Ollie each had one arm slung about the other's neck and they were swaying completely offbeat as they half sung/half screamed into their cheap, karaoke microphones, _"All I want for Christmas is youuuuuuu!~"_

Hal's 'you' went deep until he heard how high and shrill Ollie's 'you' came out and so he let his voice climb higher as well. Ollie figured out what he was trying to do and pushed his own voice higher as well until they both had their eyes screwed shut in concentration and Hal's vocal cords were being scraped raw.

The song ended, and both heroes were still belting out the last note. Ollie gave in first, trailing off into a coughing fit, and Hal dropped right after to laugh at him. A few patrons in the nearly deserted karaoke bar clapped uncomfortably and unenthusiastically. Oliver gave a dramatic curtsy and Hal bowed so low that he lost his balance and stumbled off the small stage right into their table. The Santa hat slipped off Ollie's head as he hauled Hal into a chair and sat opposite him, both cracking up in breathless laughter. From the front door, the manager was giving them a tight-lipped grimace of disapproval.

"Who knew that Hal Jordan had such a lovely singing voice?" Ollie teased, fumbling with drunken hands to put his hat back on. It was inside out.

"My shower knows," Hal mouthed around a bottle of beer that he was tipping back for the last drop at the bottom.

The waitress came around and started loading their empty bottles on a tray to clear the table. Ollie leaned on his elbow and tossed her a sloppy wink that he probably thought was dashing, "Hey sweetheart, can you bring my friend and me another round?"

"I'm sorry," she backed away, looking worried that Ollie would hurl on her, and readjusting the tray in her arms. "My boss cut you both off half an hour ago. Remember? He also wanted me to tell you that we close in twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes?!" Ollie gaped at her. "It's only 10pm."

"Well, it _is_ Christmas Eve," she said apologetically before walking off.

"Shoot…" Ollie said in a devastated whisper. "We need to head back to my place! We missed the party my mother threw at the mansion. She's gonna kill me for not being there…"

"Ollie," Hal put on his flight jacket, trying to ignore the room spinning as he stood. "We were at the party for five hours. I helped you hide mistletoe in all the doorways while we were setting up. Your mother kicked us out for getting too drunk, so we went out and found this crappy karaoke bar."

"That's right!" Ollie flung an arm around Hal's shoulders and they tried to awkwardly go through the doorway at the same time. "I'm glad I invited you to spend Christmas here in Star City. Having a good bro to hang with really staves off the season depression, doesn't it?"

Hal tried to hail a cab, but it was late and there weren't many people on the road. So, Ollie called a town car and they waited by a covered bus stop. He tapped his foot idly in a small puddle beside the bench. It was less snowy and more rainy in Star City, so it didn't feel all that much like Christmas Eve right now. Now, if he was in Central City, it would be a different story. But…no. "What do _you_ have to be depressed about?"

"I invited my pretty bird to the party, but she didn't show up," Ollie cried pitifully and threw himself backwards onto Hal's lap, smacking him in the face with one flailing arm.

"You use that word 'invited' a bit liberally."

"I taped the invitation and a bouquet of roses to a thug that I tied up for her! I mean, what more can I do to sweep this woman off her feet?!" Oliver threw up his arms and, for one awkward moment, Hal thought he might start sobbing in dramatic grief.

"Alright, fine. Do you know what she looks like without her costume?" Hal tried to shove him off, but Ollie wouldn't budge.

"No."

"Then how do you know she wasn't there?"

Oliver placed one hand on his tuxedo over his heart and stared up at the flickering light on the bus stop, "We have a soul connection. If she was there, I would have felt it."

"The only thing you were feeling was the rum in that eggnog," Hal giggled, enjoying the numbing buzz in his head. This was the lightest he'd felt in weeks. He couldn't really remember what he was so upset about, but he knew thoughts of Central City and Barry were banned from his mind for the night. "And I don't really think you thought this through. How was she supposed to even find you in that party? Your mother invited half the city, and Black Canary doesn't even know your name."

"Soul connection, Hal. Geez, have some sense of romance," Ollie made a face at him. Hal saw the town car pulling up, so he shoved Ollie onto his feet and they both piled into the heated backseat. Operating seatbelts were beyond them at this point, so Hal just rested his head on the seat and blacked out for the ride back to Queen Mansion. He didn't wake up again until Oliver's doorman shook him and helped both inebriated men into the dark house.

As Hal was stumbling up the front steps and collapsing onto a couch in the drawing room, it occurred to him that this was a truly pathetic way to be spending Christmas Eve: drunk and passed out on someone else's couch. In an effort to make it a little less sad, Hal rolled off the couch and onto the oriental rug with a muffled thud.

Yes, this was better…

Ollie joined him on the floor, whacking his head on the coffee table in the process if the loud groan was any indication. Hal turned his face away from the rug briefly and he could barely see his friend illuminated in a patch of moonlight. His hat was missing again and he was trying to braid his goatee.

"I thought for sure you'd go home with that broad in the red dress tonight," Ollie mumbled, breaking the silence.

Hal shut his eyes, "Wasn't interested…"

He hadn't been 'interested' in a girl for weeks. Right after Halloween, Hal went on a spree of first dates the whole first half of November. All the women he'd picked had been drop dead gorgeous, and they were all blonde, and they all had blue eyes. Somehow, he'd thought that would make it easier to hook up without thinking of Barry. But, he ended up comparing every single one of his dates to the speedster. Every kiss, every touch lacked any sensation at all and Hal craved the electric rush he got from just accidentally brushing against Barry.

When he didn't find it in any of his random partners, he gave up. Hal didn't want to accept that he might never again want anyone as badly as he'd wanted his best friend, but it looked like that was the reality. He just couldn't believe how _empty_ his life felt without Barry and Wally in it. His chest actually _ached_ when he wondered how many times Wally had asked for him in the last two months. No matter how shitty he felt, though, Hal couldn't bring himself to go back. There was just something about their little family that terrified him. In all his life, Hal had never been so afraid of anyone. And he didn't know _why_.

Ollie rolled onto his side suddenly and propped his head on his arm, "So, are you going to tell me what's wrong, or do I need to suffocate you with the rug?"

"The rug," Hal chose blearily. As rugs go, it was pretty comfortable and far preferable to explaining his massive screw up to Ollie while he was partly smashed.

"Hmm… You'll drool on it with your death gurgling and it was pretty expensive," Ollie made a face, running one hand over the woven patterns. "Just tell me. Does it have anything to do with why you haven't been to Central in weeks? Or why you look like you've been running on no sleep every day?"

Hal meant to vehemently deny it. Instead, he let out a ridiculous half sob half giggle and flopped over onto his face. The hardwood floor smushed his nose to the side and pulled up one eyelid, "Maybe…"

"What happened?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

" _Hal_."

Hal didn't hesitate, "I think I'm in love with my best friend…"

Dammit.

Ollie went quiet and his voice turned incredulous, "What… _Barry_?"

Hal sighed and tried nodding, but he just ended up grinding his forehead into the floor, "Yep."

"Doesn't he…uh, have different _parts_ than you're used to?" Ollie sat up and frowned at Hal like he was trying to figure out if he was serious or not. Hal didn't know what to say back, so he just laid there like a dead fish and nodded.

"Well…your boycott of Central makes a whole lot more sense now," Ollie rubbed his mustache thoughtfully. His frown turned into a big smile suddenly and he snapped his fingers, "Is this a joke? You make bad jokes a lot when you're drunk."

"I shoved the man into a couch and tore his shirt off, Ollie," Hal sat up too and leaned against an end table. He hadn't gotten sufficiently drunk for this conversation. "It's not a joke."

"Okay, I believe you," he held up his hands in surrender. "What happened after?"

"I booked it out of Central."

"No, I mean _right_ after," Ollie clarified.

" _I booked it out of Central,"_ Hal reiterated in irritation. "Well, out of the whole planet really… I had that Lantern mission to go to."

Without warning, Oliver lunged forward and smacked Hal in the head, "What the hell is wrong with you?! You can't just kiss your best friend and then run away afterwards!"

"Ow!" Hal rubbed the side of his head and blocked when Ollie tried to hit him again. "I didn't do it on purpose! I panicked!"

"You're such a – wait… That was Halloween night," Oliver cocked his head to the side suspiciously. "This happened after I left?"

Hal nodded cautiously.

Oliver laughed suddenly and fixed him with a smug grin, " _That's_ why you didn't want me to set him up with his coworker! You were jealous! _Ha!"_

"Shut up," Hal reached back and threw a decorative pillow at him.

Ollie caught it and hugged it close like a teenage girl at a slumber party, "Oh, this is too good! What are you gonna do? You can't avoid Barry forever – not unless you're willing to throw away your friendship."

"I think I already did," Hal mumbled to himself, but Ollie heard it and snorted. "I don't get it. I've never wanted to be with a guy before."

"Maybe it's been true all along, Hal. You're an indiscriminate man-whore. You'll screw anything that moves."

"I wouldn't sleep with _you_."

"Is it the beard?" Ollie looked mildly offended.

"Yes."

"Well there's your answer! Make Barry grow a beard. Problem solved."

"Somehow, I don't think it's going to be that simple."

"You're right. You're so good at fucking things up that even a beard can't stop you. Look, just quit being a drama llama. You made it sound like things got pretty hot and heavy that night. Unless I'm mistaken, it takes two to tango, my friend," Oliver waggled his eyebrows and crossed his fingers suggestively. "Now answer the question. What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know! I've been trying to figure out what to do for the last few weeks," Hal rubbed his eyes tiredly. Of course easy going Oliver Queen would be a hard ass right _now_ when Hal just wanted to relax.

"No you haven't. You've been hiding out halfway across the country and hoping Barry doesn't come after you," Ollie nudged him with his foot, never afraid to _loudly_ call someone out on their crap. "Like a weenie."

"Yeah, well, he didn't," Hal sighed. Was that what he was waiting for – Barry to make the first move?

"Pfft! I wouldn't have gone after you either," Ollie laughed. "He's probably confused about why you suddenly turned into a little girl and ran away crying."

 _"I didn't-"_ Hal raised his voice, but Ollie held up a hand to silence him.

He gave Hal a skeptical look, holding up three fingers as a list, "You didn't what – a) turn into a little girl, b) run away, or c) cry?"

"Cry," Hal mumbled, letting his head fall back against the table. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Five minutes," Ollie allowed him with a proud smile. "And that's your reward for being so honest with yourself."

"Gee, thanks," Hal sighed sarcastically. He tried to come up with anything to change the subject and his eyes landed on the lit Christmas tree steadily twinkling in the corner. "Hey, why did your mother start crying a little before we both took off?"

He expected Ollie to make fun of his attempt, but the archer perked up instead, "Queen family tradition. We exchange one present on Christmas Eve and open the rest the next morning. I gave my mom her big gift tonight."

"What was it?" Hal looked up curiously.

"A grandson."

It took a little longer than it should to sink in thanks to the alcohol still muddling his brain, but Hal got it eventually. His eyes bugged out and he started comically fumbling for words, "The adoption went through?!"

"Money speeds up a lot of processes," Ollie shrugged happily. "It's not right, but yeah, Roy will be here at the end of January."

"Should I throw you a baby shower?" Hal smiled and actually meant it for once.

"Well, he's eight, so no," Ollie didn't look amused.

He just kept smiling and tried to wrap his head around the fact that his other best friend was going to be a dad too, "Congratulations, man. Do I get to be Uncle Hal to Roy?"

"I think maybe you should decide first if you still want to be 'Uncle Hal' to Wally as well," Ollie sobered up a little and Hal could clearly see the look he was being given even in the dark.

"I love that kid," Hal couldn't keep the misery out of his voice. That was the one thing he truly regretted with all his heart. He'd missed so many moments with Wally. He was supposed to show Wally how to trace his hand on a piece of paper and color it so it looked like a turkey. He'd promised to let Wally help him make his super secret stuffing for Thanksgiving that he'd never shown anyone the recipe to – a mixture of six different types of box stuffing and a bottle of buffalo sauce. They'd planned to turn the entire backyard into one giant snow fort and challenge Aquaman to a rematch after he'd destroyed them both last year. Hal liked to forget that Arthur was half human and had been raised on the surface for his entire childhood. Not only was he king of the seas; he was king of snowball fights as well. Hal and Barry had also made plans to teach Wally how to ice skate this year. He'd let Wally down so many times.

"Then you better do something fast before it's too late. Barry's put up with a lot of your shit in the past, but I kinda get the feeling that the one thing he won't forgive is someone hurting his son. And if he decides that he doesn't want you around Wally, you're never going to see him again. You've been a constant in Wally's life for three years, Hal. You've gotta understand that disappearing like you did can do a lot of damage."

It actually felt like someone had driven a knife through his heart. As if he needed to feel any worse about this whole thing.

"Just promise me you'll call Allen before the end of December," Ollie leaned forward and clapped him on the shoulder. "He and Wally are obviously very important to you and I'd hate to see you lose them. Okay?"

"Yeah, I will," Hal nodded, fighting to speak while his throat was closing up. He locked his jaw shut and stood up on surprisingly steady legs, checking to make sure his house keys were still in his pocket. "I'm actually gonna head home if that's alright. I…need to do some thinking."

Ollie glanced side to side to make sure no one was listening in on them, "You okay to fly?"

"Yeah. Coast City's only a hundred miles away. I can make it without crashing," Hal dusted off his pants and watched as Ollie tried and failed to stand up.

"Well, I can't even make it to the door without crashing, so kudos to you," he laughed quietly and raised one hand to Hal in farewell. "Merry Christmas. I hope you figure things out, brother."

"Me too," Hal trudged out of the house, slapping himself a few times to wake up. "Merry Christmas…"

The flight back to Coast City was easier than he'd thought it would be. Hal just counted the millions of lights speeding by below him until he saw the blinking pattern of a runway and radio tower, signaling that he was above Ferris Aircraft. Two minutes later, he was shedding his Lantern uniform and sneaking into his apartment without waking any of his neighbors.

He was going to down a full glass of water, strip to his boxers, and spend the next twenty-six hours in bed wallowing in loneliness. Hal felt his way into the small kitchen, whacking his elbow on the back of a chair and stumbling into the cabinets. Ugh. He couldn't _stand_ his apartment anymore. He had _one_ kitchen chair, _three_ plates that didn't match, a dead plant in the windowsill – there was zero evidence that the person living here had any family. The apartment wasn't warm and well lived in. It was dark and empty. Hal grabbed a cup and flipped on the light switch, shutting his eyes against the sudden brightness. He turned around and reached for the handle to the freezer.

" _Gah!_ " Hal cried out in surprise, jumping back when he saw the lethal, black batarang impaling the fridge door. He fumbled not to drop his cup and tried to calm his racing heart as he stared at the batarang. It was pinning a piece of paper to the fridge that looked like it had been crumpled up and then carefully smoothed flat again. Hal tentatively poked the tip of the throwing weapon, readying his ring in case it released some kind of knockout gas or something. "…Bats?"

No one answered.

Hal grabbed the dull parts of the batarang and pulled it out of the metal door with a grunt of effort. Why the hell had Bruce broken into his apartment? And why was he stabbing appliances? Hal set the weapon on the counter and backed away from it. He could only assume that he'd royally fucked up somehow and pissed the dark knight off really badly.

He turned his attention to the folded piece of construction paper Bruce had stuck to the fridge and wrinkled his nose. It smelled a bit like it had sat in a dumpster for a few hours. This wasn't exactly Bruce's usual method of reprimanding him, so what was the paper for? Hal opened the crinkled paper and read the message written on it.

'Dear Santa, I only want one thing this Christmas and that is for my Uncle Hal to come back and live with us. Could you do that please? I really really really miss him. Thanks! - Wally'

The letter slipped from Hal's hands and hit the floor with a soft slap. He stared down at Wally's messy handwriting and imagined the young boy wishing with all his heart that Santa would make this happen for him. Hal dragged his fist across his eyes and tried to breathe through the crushing guilt. He was an _idiot_ – a complete fucking moron.

Hal dashed out of the kitchen and headed for the hall closet that he'd stashed Christmas presents in. He'd bought them long before October and had been stockpiling them all year. He grabbed them all up with a giant bag construct and squeezed everything out the back door. If anyone spotted him, Hal imagined he'd look like some absurd, glowing green Santa Claus hauling off a sack of gifts. He didn't give himself any time to think and just threw all his energy into getting to Central City as fast as he could. Insane fear and giddy anticipation made his heart thump wildly and a reckless grin stretch across his face as he flew east. He'd finally made up his mind.

The only things _he_ wanted for Christmas were Barry and Wally.

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Barry was still asleep when Wally woke up at 6am. He didn't so much as twitch when Wally crept past his door. It didn't interrupt his dreaming when Wally's foot pressed down on that last creaky step on the staircase.

But he _absolutely_ heard Wally's excited yell when he saw what was standing beside the Christmas tree.

Barry lurched upright and threw out both hands like he was about to fall over, "What's wrong?!"

Another nightmare? No, he sounded happy… Oh, that's right. It was Christmas day – of course he was happy.

"Daddy! Daddy, come look!" Wally cried from downstairs.

"What is it?" Barry yawned, clearing the morning roughness out of his voice. He stretched his shoulders and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"Santa came last night!"

He ran a hand over the top of his head, feeling the messy bed hair that he'd been growing out recently. Barry had snuck downstairs around midnight and piled all of Wally's gifts under the tree, and around it, and along the wall leading into the kitchen – he'd maybe sorta spoiled him this year. But, at least a quarter of those presents were Joan and Jay's fault.

Barry got up and pulled on a pair of cotton pajama pants and an oversized t-shirt with the S.T.A.R. labs logo printed on the back. He tilted his head side to side to relieve some of the tension and made his way downstairs, "Wow, he did, huh? See, you were all worried for nothi…"

He froze when he reached the bottom of the stairs and found Hal standing in the middle of the living room, smiling and hugging Wally fiercely. Wally could have been strangling him with how tightly he had his arms wrapped around Hal's neck, but neither seemed to notice.

"Hal's back! Look! Santa got my letter," Wally twisted around in Hal's arms and flashed Barry the biggest smile before cuddling back up to him.

In contrast, when Hal's eyes finally landed on Barry, his own grin slowly died down into a look of carefully composed caution. He set Wally on the couch, never breaking eye contact, and spoke in a nervous sort of tone, "Merry Christmas…"

Barry didn't know what to do. Half of him wanted to speed right up to Hal and break his jaw, and the other half wanted to break his kneecaps. He just focused on controlling his breathing and keeping the electricity surging through him from visibly manifesting on his body. No matter how angry he was, he hadn't seen Wally this happy in weeks and he refused to ruin it. So, Barry kept his feet firmly in place.

"I missed you," Wally tugged on the bottom of Hal's jacket sleeve, stealing the pilot's attention away.

Hal genuinely looked horrified at that. He sat down on the couch next to Wally and rested one hand on his bright hair, "I know, buddy. And I'm _so_ sorry. I missed you guys, too. I promise that I won't _ever_ leave again."

"Don't say that to him," Barry snapped coldly from the stairs before he could stop himself. Both Hal and Wally looked at him in surprise.

"Why?" Hal seemed taken off guard and Barry guessed that his anger must've been plain on his face.

"Because I'm not so sure I want you here anymore," Barry shot back, crossing his arms over his chest and fighting down the furious vibrating in his bones.

Wally's smile vanished and he looked back and forth between Barry and Hal in alarm. Barry ignored his son's worried gaze.

Hal stood up, his expression showing dawning fear, "You don't mean that…"

"Why not?" Barry shrugged, tossing a pointed nod at Wally that he knew Hal wouldn't miss. "Do you have _any_ idea what happened when you left?"

Guilt seemed to weigh heavily on Hal's whole body and it said that he knew a good deal about what Wally had been out through. He took a deep breath and put a hand on Wally's shoulder, turning him so he was looking outside the patio doors at the backyard, "Wally, why don't you go outside and open your first present while your dad and I talk for a bit."

Barry frowned at him and looked out the window to find a giant trampoline with a bow tied around it set up in the middle of the snow. Wally gasped in awe when he spotted it, and he was in his snowsuit and boots faster than Barry could stop him. As soon as he was outside and the door swung shut behind him, muffling his excited cries, Hal took a few careful steps closer to Barry.

"I'm _sorry_ ," Hal put one hand over his heart like he was saying an oath. "When I took off, I-"

"Shut up," Barry growled, shoving Hal back so that they were out of sight of the windows in case Wally tried to look at them from his trampoline. His fists clenched into fists convulsively and he waved one hand between them angrily. "What happened was between _us_. You had no right to make Wally pay for it!"

"I wasn't thinking that night! I didn't even-"

Barry clamped one hand over Hal's mouth, "I said shut up! You didn't have any right to do that to Wally and I didn't have any right to get mad about it."

Hal frowned suddenly and Barry could tell that he didn't understand.

"You're not family," Barry explained off-handedly as if the words weren't painful to say. "You're just a friend who helped me when I needed it and then you decided you were done. And that's fine. You don't owe us anything."

Hal flinched and his expression crumpled. He pulled free of Barry's hand and spoke in a hurt voice, "Don't say that."

"You don't," Barry held his hands out to the sides in a shrug. "I really appreciated all the help you gave me with Wally, but you don't have to do it anymore. And as for us…you don't seem to feel the same way I do, so don't worry about it. You can go back to your own life and I'll take care of mine."

Hal's disbelief reached a critical level and he suddenly got that look in his eye that warned he had every intention of fighting back, "Who says I don't feel the same?"

Barry frowned at him, " _You_ did – when I went after you, begging you to talk to me, and you ran off."

"That was-" Hal was fumbling for the right words. "I was in shock. I had to get out of there and do some thinking."

"So, what was your excuse for pretending I didn't exist for the next two months?"

Hal covered his face with both hands, "I don't know. At first, I was putting off dealing with it one day at a time and telling myself I'd call you the next day, but then weeks went by and it was just easier to pretend like it didn't happen. But, I figured it out now! Whatever this thing is between us, we should see where it goes. I mean, it's insane, but we both obviously wanted it that night we kissed."

Barry sent him a look like he was an idiot, "It's not just me anymore. You hurt someone I love more than anyone else on this planet. How are you going to convince me to give you a shot?"

Hal glanced out the window where Wally was jumping up and down on the trampoline and his face drew tight with regret. He moved closer to Barry and placed both hands on either side of his neck. Immediately, Barry's irritation caused his skin to zap Hal with a loud crackling sound. Hal jerked from the painful jolt, but he held on stubbornly, "I'm so sorry for running, but I was just afraid. I fell in love with you and Wally, and your family, and I realized how badly I wanted that. It terrified me. I've never been that family type of person before."

"I thought you were supposed to be fearless," Barry replied with a lot less venom as the sincerity of what Hal said started to sink in. "You brag about it enough."

"Well, _you_ scared me," Hal shrugged helplessly. His shoulders sagged miserably and his adorable brown eyes looked like they belonged on a kicked puppy. "What does that say?"

"You aren't the only one who was scared, you know. It would've been really nice if you'd stuck around long enough for us to figure it out together," Barry was still sorta angry, but the static energy crackling inside of him had died away. Instead, a confusing amount of hope had taken its place.

Hal's hands slid down to Barry's collarbone and he dropped his eyes, "Do you still want to try figuring it out?"

"What happens if it doesn't work?" Barry sighed, jerking his head towards the backyard. "You disappear again for half a year and Wally has to get over you abandoning him a second time?"

"That won't happen again. I swear. If it turns out that we're a complete mess together, I will work my damn hardest to make sure nothing changes between me and Wally," Hal stared directly into Barry's eyes, and the intensity was a little startling. "Please give me a shot. I want this. I'm ready this time."

Barry watched him silently for a few minutes, letting him squirm. He couldn't deny that what he felt for Hal had been rapidly going beyond friendship. And before Hal left, the three of them just _worked_. Unfortunately, being Hal's best friend for so long, Barry knew his track record with relationships extremely well. "I'm not Carol Ferris. I can't do that on again, off again crap. If we break up, that's it. We're done."

He expected Hal to be solemn and contrite at those conditions, but his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped, "Wait…is that a yes? You're really going to forgive me?"

"You didn't think I would?" Barry tried to keep his stern composure and _not_ blush at the ecstatic grin spreading across Hal's face.

"Not without punching me or something! Oh man, I promise I won't screw this up!" Hal trapped him in a bear hug and actually lifted him off the floor. Barry grabbed onto his shoulders in surprise and held on. "Although, you did electrocute me. Hey…"

He set Barry down and touched his face again in wonder, "It's back…"

"What is?" Barry frowned in confusion and tried to back up a little, but Hal kept him in place.

"That tingling thing you do to me whenever I touch your skin," Hal lifted his hand free and then laid it against Barry's cheek experimentally. "I didn't feel it at first, but now it's back. Does that happen because you like me?"

Barry looked down at his hands. He knew sometimes he could give people a tiny shock if he had too much static electricity built up, but it wasn't all that common. The only person who'd ever told him that they felt anything like that was… "Probably. Iris used to say that I made her feel like that."

"I missed it," Hal smiled, sounding like he was regaining a little bit of his confidence. "So, are you gonna say it out loud?"

"Say what?" Barry asked.

"That you're crazy about me," Hal said like it was obvious. "Most people need to hear that when they decide to start a relationship."

"I'm still sorta mad at you," he raised an eyebrow at Hal, who didn't seem fazed in the slightest. "Do you really want the first time I say that I love you to be when I'm angry?"

Hal put his hands on his hips and rocked back on his heels, an impish grin on his face, "I think you underestimate how hot you are when you're angry. You get like a little bit of lightning in your eyes – it's pretty awesome."

"Oh no, you're not going to be a horndog with me too, are you?" Barry groaned.

"Yes I am," Hal took on a stern expression like he was about to give a lecture. "And you'd better start being one too, because that's what I look for in a life partner."

"I changed my mind. I don't want to date anymore," Barry crossed his arms, but Hal wasn't listening. He was looking out the window at the giant trampoline that Wally was climbing down from.

"Oh! Wally's coming in," Hal said suddenly. "Quick, how do you wanna play this? Do you wanna tell him, keep it secret, act like normal?"

"Act like we usually do," Barry decided. "I don't wanna make a big deal out of this at Christmas. We can explain it to him later."

"But what about afterwards? Am I moving in, or-?"

"You can visit whenever you want for the first month," Barry held up a finger to slow him down. " _Then_ , if things go well, you can stay the night. If a year goes by and we can still stand to look at each other, we'll talk about moving in."

The second Hal's defiant smile widened, Barry knew he'd just made a mistake. In Hal's eyes, he'd just thrown down a challenge, and Hal intended to flout every single one of those rules.

He grabbed the loose collar of Barry's shirt and tugged him close, giving him a quick kiss before Wally came barreling in from the cold, "Thank you. You're the only one who gives me second chances."

"Yeah, well, you don't usually disappoint the second time around," Barry tried to play it off like his head wasn't spinning. He separated from Hal and turned around to smile at Wally. His little face was bright pink and he was laughing breathlessly. "Do you like the trampoline Hal got you?"

"Yeah! Thank you, Hal!" Wally kicked off his snow-crusted boots and pulled his coat over his head. "Can we open more presents now?"

"Breakfast first," Barry scooted him towards the kitchen. "We're gonna wait for Grandpa Jay and Grandma Joan to get here before opening any more. You think you can wait for me to cook you something?"

"Not necessary," Hal collapsed onto the couch, extending his arms along the back. "I brought donuts."

"It's Christmas," Barry paused right before the kitchen and tossed Hal a suspicious look over his shoulder. "How did you find a place that was still open?"

"I grabbed them last night. Coast City is a lawless place with twenty-four hour donuts shops that are open federal holidays," Hal said in a spooky voice like he was telling a ghost story, waggling his fingers and giving him crazy eyes.

Barry spared a moment to appreciate how wonderful it would be to have a twenty-four hour donut place in Central, "What kinds did you get?"

"Your favorite," Hal sent him a knowing grin. "Everything. I planned to use them as bribery in case you decided not to forgive me."

When Barry got to the kitchen, he found Wally standing in the middle of the room staring up at twelve dozen donuts stacked high on the counter. His eyes bugged out and he carefully lifted the lid on one of the boxes, "That's a lot of donuts…"

"Yes it is," Barry ruffled Wally's hair and took one with jelly filling. He went back into the living room where Hal was watching him smugly from the couch. Barry tilted Hal's head back and snuck another kiss before sitting down beside him and whispering, "You can stay the night."


	11. Chapter 11

Hal kicked in the front door in a fit of rage. His ring pulsed twice to warn him of impending danger as the speedster on the other side of the door prepared for a fight. Hal completely ignored the warning and stormed inside with his guard down. It wasn't exactly smart to surprise one of the heavy hitters in the Justice League. That was how you ended up with a golden lasso around your throat or an energy blast to the face from Captain Atom. He wasn't worried though; Barry was quick to his defenses, but equally fast to pull back an attack the instant he realized there wasn't any threat.

He slammed the door shut behind him, "You're not gonna believe this crap, Barry! Wait…is Wally here?"

Barry looked up from the desk covered with papers and closed the folder he was holding. He checked the time on his watch and narrowed his eyes, "It's 10am. He's at school."

"Good," Hal spun a chair backwards and straddled it, leaning his arms on the back. "Get this: The Guardians have decided to assign me backup!"

"…I don't…see why that's a bad thing," Barry shook his head at a loss, removing the pen from behind his ear.

"It's an insult!" Hal stood up suddenly, gesturing wildly with his hands and sending several papers scattering all over the floor. Barry scooped them up and shot him a look of irritation, but Hal kept pacing around the room. "The only reason they'd assign Earth another Lantern is if they thought I couldn't handle patrolling my sector by myself!"

"Wait, it's going to be another human Green Lantern?" Barry frowned, actually seeming interested now.

"It _is_ another human! _Is!_ He's already got his power ring and everything!" Hal raved. "The bastard's in Green Lantern boot camp as we speak!"

Barry leaned back in his chair, following Hal's stalking movements with his eyes, "Have you met him yet?"

"Not officially, but I saw him before I left Oa," Hal grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "The punk made his uniform into a friggin jacket with a popped collar."

"I didn't know you could change what your uniform looked like…"

"Yeah, we can make it look like whatever we want," Hal waved off the revelation. "But most of us just keep it the standard style because it's respectful of the Corps!"

"Right, and you've always been _all_ about respect," Barry leaned his head on his fist and rolled his eyes. Hal let it go and decided not to comment. The last three months had been going really well and he didn't want to be the one to start their first fight as a couple. Also, Barry looked ridiculously hot when he was being all disapproving and sarcastic. "I don't know what you're complaining about. Having another Green Lantern on Earth sounds like a win. Remember last month when you were off planet dealing with that world eater at the same time that your old mentor, Sinestro, decided to carpet bomb your home town? I bet it would've been nice to have a second Green Lantern to team up with."

"That's not the issue. I'm used to being _the_ Green Lantern here. How would you feel if you woke up one day and found out you weren't the only speedster?" Hal slumped against him with a pitiful sigh.

"Uhh, I'm _not_ the only speedster…" Barry laughed, holding up fingers as he listed off names. "There's Jay, Max Mercury, Johnny Quick – all three of which have been active at least thirty years before I was even born."

Hal froze, chewing at the inside of his lip and feeling like an idiot. He wound his arms around Barry's waist and rested his forehead on the speedster's bicep, "Right…well… I still don't like it."

"You'll still be the _first_ human Lantern. That's something, isn't it? And you'll love bossing the rookie around," Barry told him optimistically. " _Plus_ , he might be just like you and give you someone to hang out with that's bull-headed and reckless too."

"I think we can both agree by now that I should never be allowed to hang out with people that are exactly like me. Bad things happen. I do much better when I'm around people like _you_ ," Hal lifted his head and rose up a bit to nuzzle his nose against the back of Barry's ear. "Reasonable…"

"Intelligent," he kissed the skin right over Barry's jugular vein. He'd figured out over much one-sided exploration that this was the speedster's sweet spot.

His hand trailed over the front of Barry's shirt, "Laid-back."

"And damn handsome," Hal murmured as he moved his lips to Barry's strong jawline.

He just tilted his head back and smiled, closing his eyes happily while Hal lavished attention on him, "How do you explain your friendship with Oliver then? The two of you get along like a burnin' house."

"You jealous?" Hal grinned against Barry's neck, still trying to entice the speedster into joining in.

"Not really. The last time the two of you did something together, I had to run to California and bail you out of jail," Barry laughed, poking Hal between the eyes playfully and standing up to get a glass of water.

Hal pouted at the sudden departure of his partner, and he crossed his arms with a sigh. Barry wasn't the type to kiss and tell, so Hal didn't really have a clue what his and Iris' love life had been like when she was still alive. He'd never bragged or complained about how good the sex was to anyone – not even Hal. He'd known from the start that Barry was one of those guys who were able to _think_ without their penis getting in the way, but he hadn't expected it to be this difficult to get the speedster in the mood.

They'd been together three months, and Hal had forced himself to be patient. He was also trying to be considerate of Barry's feelings. His late wife had been the last person he slept with, and Hal imagined it would take some time for Barry to get used to the idea of another partner.

That didn't stop him from testing the water, though. The furthest they'd gotten was above the waist action, and that was fine for now. But every time Hal attempted to seduce Barry into toeing the line into that next step, it didn't happen. The most frustrating thing about it was that Barry wasn't flat out rejecting him – he just didn't seem to _notice_ the advances.

Hal had never worked so hard in his life to get into someone's pants.

While Barry had his back turned, Hal stubbornly popped open the first few buttons on his own shirt and waited for the speedster to look again. "Speaking of Ollie, he wants to know if you'd bring Wally over for a play date one day. He's worried about Roy having trouble adjusting and he thinks having a friend would help."

"Isn't Roy two years older?" Barry frowned, not even looking up from the file he was reading.

Hal stuck out his jaw in irritation, getting up and pretending like he needed to stretch. He arched his spine enticingly and snuck a glance back at Barry who still wasn't paying attention. Hal gave up and leaned on the counter directly across from the speedster, "You and I are almost two years apart and it's never been a problem."

"True," Barry nodded. "How's that going to work, though? Wally's old enough to know where we all are on a map of the US. And if _he_ knows, then Roy certainly does too. They'll notice something's up if we bring them across the country in a matter of minutes."

"Uh…that's not gonna be a problem…" Hal made a face, shrinking down a bit when Barry turned a curious stare on him.

"Why not…?"

"Roy knows that Ollie is Green Arrow."

Barry's blue eyes widened in horror and Hal suddenly had his full attention, " _What_?! Did Oliver tell him on purpose?! That's idiotic!"

"Relax. It was an accident," Hal tried to play it off like this wasn't terrible. "Sort of. It's impressive, really. Took the kid less than two months to find and break into the Arrow Cave. I guess he's trying to convince Ollie to let him fight crime as his sidekick or something now."

"He's _eight_. That's insane!" Barry was appalled.

"Oh, Ollie's not gonna let him do it. He's not the most responsible guy on the planet, but he'd never put a child in danger like that. I think he's using the excuse that Roy needs to train first. The kid knows how to shoot a bow, but he doesn't have any combat skills."

"Good! He's a second-grader, not a vigilante," Barry muttered. "Do you think he'll keep Oliver's secret? He doesn't know any of our identities, does he?"

"Nah, just Ollie's. To Roy, we're just Hal the pilot and Barry the cop. Well, I'm Hal the pilot. He hasn't met _you_ yet," Hal did his best to sound sure of himself, but he wasn't. He was quickly figuring out that Roy _wasn't_ like an average child. The little redhead could get weirdly intense about some things and he did _not_ like to be told what to do. It wasn't a problem yet, because Ollie was still in that phase where he thought Roy could do no wrong, but he was going to realize what a handful he had real soon.

Barry looked like he was considering the idea, "Okay. I'd like Wally to have more friends, too. I worry that he's not making any at school."

"What? But he's such a great kid," Hal poked him between the eyes and flashed an easy smile. "Just relax. He's only in kindergarten. Give it a year and he'll have more friends than he knows what to do with."

For a moment, Hal thought he would blow off the attempt at reassurance. But, Barry leaned down on his elbows and kissed him on the forehead, "Thanks."

Hal forgot all about trying to seduce him and just smiled back contentedly, "Wanna hear something funny?"

"Sure."

"I was in Mt. Justice earlier today, and Hawkman commented that you and I both seem happier lately," he said cryptically.

Barry rolled his eyes and shook his head with a grin, "You still don't want to tell the League about us? They're all pretty cool; I don't see anyone giving us a hard time about it. Plus, Oliver and Bruce already know."

"I'm not gonna tell the League before we even tell _Wally_ ," Hal feigned indignation. Then, he cracked and started cackling deviously. "No, I want them to figure it out on their own. I want Clark to wonder why we suddenly smell like each other all the time. _And_ , I'm gonna project really dirty thoughts about you when I'm around J'onn to see if he notices. With Diana…I'll have to come up with something to do with her lasso of truth…"

"You're enjoying this too much," Barry laughed. "Hey. Do you…want to tell Wally tonight? I mean, it's been three months and we already keep enough secrets from him. Most of those are for good reason, but this one…I think he should know as soon as possible."

"Yeah, definitely," Hal perked up. He'd been anxious to get this out of the way for awhile now. "But, he wants to put on that puppet show for us, remember?"

"We can tell him afterwards. Then, we won't have to sneak around the house and look over our shoulders to see if he's watching," Barry grinned slyly.

Hal fixed him with a cautious smile, "Yeah?"

Maybe this seducing thing wasn't going to be as hard as he thought. Speedsters were unpredictable.

"Mmhmm," Barry sounded almost like he was trying to tease Hal, and his accent got a bit thicker as his voice rumbled. "Then we can focus less on trying to hide that we're dating and more on exploring what we've got going on here."

An absurdly hot image of himself dramatically sweeping the papers off the table and throwing Barry down onto it with a ring construct popped into Hal's brain. It didn't help that _Barry Allen_ was giving him bedroom eyes – the same Barry Allen who wore things like sweater vests, and took naps in the middle of the day, and enjoyed solving twenty year old cold cases for fun. It was right then that he decided that subtle sexy was _way_ better than outright sexy. Hal leaned forward and stage glanced around the room, "Why don't we do some of that exploring right now? Wally's at school, and we've both got the day off for once."

Barry slowly met him halfway like he was going to agree, and then he merely pecked Hal on the lips and dashed out of the room, "Because Mirror Master and Captain Cold are trying to steal an entire building."

He was gone so fast that Hal nearly face-planted on the counter. He caught himself with one hand and glanced at the TV that was on in the living room behind him. It was playing a news report with live coverage of the two Rogues sinking a bank into a mirror made out of an ice-covered street. Hal scowled at the two villains through the screen and sighed.

"You should come with and help me out," Barry was suddenly in the kitchen again, in costume and pulling the red cowl over his head.

Hal willed the ring to garb himself in his own uniform, "Having trouble with your villains again? I thought those two were in Belle Reve?"

"Belle Reve is about as useful a prison as the playpen I kept Wally in when he was two," Barry laughed. "I'm mostly wanting you to come along for purely selfish reasons. It's never a bad thing to let your enemies know that there's another heavy hitter that hangs around town."

"Why do I feel like I'm being used?" Hal asked playfully, running through everything he knew about Captain Cold and Mirror Master in his head. He almost considered them _his_ villains too with how often he'd been in Central over the years.

"I think you're forgetting that _I'm_ the one who fought off Sinestro when he attacked Coast City," Barry elbowed him in the ribs. "The big bad boyfriend thing works both ways with us."

"Alright, fine," Hal hooked a ring construct behind the lightning bolts on Barry's mask and pulled his face forwards for that real kiss he'd been denied. "Let's go kick ass."

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Six hours later, Barry was sprawled out on the couch with a web of bandages and ice strapped to his shins. He was trying his hardest not to breathe too deeply because there were a couple of broken ribs that would slip out of place and puncture his lungs if he wasn't careful. Every errant twitch brought an explosion of pain and the desire to cough, but he stayed as still as a statue.

Hal was sitting on the floor, propped up by the couch. His head was tilted back and resting on Barry's thigh. From this angle, he could clearly see the purpling bruise darkening Hal's right eye and the way he was favoring his shoulder. He knew that beneath the Lantern's shirt was a carefully dim construct acting as a brace to keep his spine rigid.

The fight hadn't gone as expected. Everything was fine until the Top had shown up. Then, things had quickly gone south and they'd barely finished with the block still intact. Half of Infantino Street had been shattered while it was still converted into a mirror, and the inside of the bank was little more than rubble. Barry hated that there was so much collateral damage, but it was becoming unavoidable.

He missed the days before the accident that turned his entire Rogues gallery into metahumans. It was so much easier back then. He could just run them to Iron Heights prison and confiscate their special weapons.

Wally ran up to Hal with an overflowing bowl of popcorn. He carefully set it on Hal's lap and then produced an extra bag of ice, "How did you and Daddy get hurt?"

Hal was extremely gifted at pretending like he wasn't in pain. He slapped the pack of ice on the bruise and smiled, "Someone tried to say that your Daddy wasn't the coolest person on the planet. So, I had to punch them out. They hit back."

Wally's green eyes grew large and he was nodding in acceptance of the story. Without thinking, Barry lifted his knee to jostle Hal's head and let him know he disapproved. The movement sent spikes of pain shooting into both of them, and he laughed awkwardly to cover it, "Hal's just pulling your leg, Wally. We went to the track to exercise and stayed there a little too long. I pulled some muscles, and Hal tripped and fell on his face."

" _Excuse me_?" Hal twisted around to glare at him indignantly.

"Don't be embarrassed. Wally still loves you even though you're a klutz," Barry patted him on the head and winked.

For a moment, he noticed how intently Wally was staring at Hal's black eye – like he was studying it and mentally comparing what a fall would look like versus a punch. Barry had an insane scenario play out in his head of Wally suddenly asking them if they were Green Lantern and Flash. What if he figured it out one day like Roy had discovered that Oliver was Green Arrow? He was younger than Roy, but Barry would be blind if he hadn't noticed that Wally possessed above average intelligence for a child his age. Wally _could_ find out if they weren't careful. Barry didn't exactly have a secret cave or hideout for Wally to discover like Oliver and Bruce, but his problem was much worse. Hal kept his secret in his pocket or around his finger, and Barry carried _his_ in his very bones. They couldn't lock their powers away behind a door. Wally was literally staring at their secrets every minute he was with them. What if he realized what he was looking at one day?

"Don't worry, Hal," Wally patted his knee consolingly and grabbed Hal's attention again. "I'm not very coordinated either."

Barry heard Hal mutter something about being patronized and how Wally was turning into his dad. He just laughed and watched his son hurry around the room putting the final touches on the cardboard stage that he'd built around the coffee table.

"You're gonna record it, right?" Wally poked his head out of the makeshift curtain that separated them from 'backstage'.

Hal held up the camera and shook it side to side, "Oh, don't worry. I want to have this as blackmail when you're twenty."

"Make copies. I'm gonna show it at his wedding," Barry mumbled discreetly. Hal moved the popcorn so they could both reach it, and the agreement was struck.

Wally darted back out to turn off half the lights in the living room and then ran back behind the curtain, "Okay! I'm ready. Ask me what the puppet show is about!"

Barry and Hal exchanged confused looks, but complied, "What's your show about?"

"I'm glad you asked, kind audience," Wally's voice came from behind the curtain, sounding deeper and more official. "This show is about my three favorite superheroes…"

"Flash!" A crudely made red puppet with a lightning bolt glued onto the front and a smile drawn on the face popped up onto the stage.

Barry flicked Hal's ear triumphantly and gave him a smug grin.

"Green Lantern!" A second puppet jumped up next to the Flash one. It was all green with a Lantern sticker taped to the chest.

Barry's grin went slack and Hal stuck his tongue out at him.

"And Batman!"

Both of their heads whipped back to stare at the black puppet in disbelief. It had a frown drawn onto its face and a black napkin tied around its fat neck.

"Umm, I'm sorry!" Hal raised his hand like he was in class and he had a question. "Since when is _Batman_ one of your favorite superheroes?!"

"Shhhh!" Wally hissed at him. "The audience has to be quiet!"

Hal's mouth opened and closed a few times like a gaping fish, and he turned back to Barry like he wanted an explanation. Barry had no idea. Of all his friends in the Justice League, Bruce was the one who saw Wally the least – in person or as Batman. It wasn't like he didn't care. Hal had told him about the threatening batarang that had left a permanent gash in his fridge. Bruce was just not exactly a kid person.

And when he was younger, Wally had been afraid of seeing Batman on the news. Barry had no idea when this had changed, but now he felt…justifiably upset about it. Batman was _cool_. There was no denying it. He was mysterious, had a lot of nifty gadgets, and his costume was way better than Barry's. Barry couldn't pull off the dark and menacing demeanor. His thing was more being friendly and merciful…and smiling.

What if Wally decided that scowling and instilling the fear of God into people was better?

Completely ignoring the pain in his ribs, Barry sat up and leaned towards Hal to whisper, "If friggin Batman replaces me as Wally's favorite superhero, I'm gonna dig myself a grave and crawl in it."

"The. Audience. Is. _Quiet_." Wally's voice reprimanded him. Hal clamped a hand over his mouth and giggled silently, wincing as it jostled his spine.

"What are these three heroes doing all in one place, you ask? They are defending the Earth from a giant space monster!" A blue cereal bowl that had been painted to look like Earth was placed face down in one corner of the stage. At the same time, what looked like a spiky, yellow cyclops worm swung down from the top. The cardboard monster dangled above the puppets, moving back and forth with a squeaking sound, and Wally made a garbled roaring sound.

"Oh no! That space worm is gonna eat the planet!" the Flash puppet shook side to side, and Barry choked down a laugh at the ridiculously southern voice that Wally made for him.

"We have to stop it," the Batman puppet growled in a deep, scratchy voice, pointing one stubby arm at the monster. Hal snorted loudly, his laughter coming out like a wheeze.

"But we can't breathe in outer space," the Flash puppet gasped.

"Leave it to me!" the Green Lantern puppet threw up both its arms and put two green tinted sandwich bags over the Flash and Batman puppets. "I'm the best!"

Oh, Barry _really_ hoped that Wally had gone around the house collecting anything green he could find.

"Thanks, Green Lantern! You really saved us!" the Flash puppet sped over to the Green Lantern one and gave it a hug.

"You're both stupid. And so is this worm! Hi-YAH!" the Batman puppet leapt up and karate chopped into the worm. Wally made more growling monster noises and had the Flash and Green Lantern puppets join in on the fight. Barry was laughing so hard that his ribs really were in danger of slipping out of place. He was torn between mentally picturing someone zipping Bruce up in a giant plastic bag and picturing Bruce uppercutting an alien worm eight times his size.

"Green Lantern, look out! It's a meteor!" the Flash puppet yelled. A big rock from the front yard fell from the stage's roof and hit the Green Lantern puppet in the head. He let out an exaggerated groan of pain and smacked face down onto the coffee table while the rock rolled onto the floor.

Both plastic bags were pulled off of the Flash and Batman puppets, and they pretended to be suffocating.

"Green Lantern got knocked out! We can't breathe out here, Batman," the Flash puppet wailed.

"It's a good thing I have my instant atmosphere spray," the Batman puppet disappeared for a moment and reappeared holding a can of aerosol spray that was taller than he was. Wally had Batman spray all the puppets and then toss the can aside.

Hal was suddenly overcome by convulsions that Barry could only assume were because of laughter. Some of the gadgets they'd seen Bruce pull out of his utility belt bordered on the ridiculous, and 'instant atmosphere spray' was exactly the type of thing he'd have handy.

"Good work, Batman! Now to finish off this overgrown earthworm," Puppet Flash pulled out little bits of lightning bolt shaped cardboard and threw them at the monster. The cutout worm swung back and forth while Wally made more growling noises for it. Then, the Green Lantern puppet grabbed a green oven mitt and smacked the monster so hard that it went flying off the stage and onto Hal's feet.

"Yay! We did it!" the Flash and Green Lantern puppets hugged again, jumping up and down.

Barry leaned towards Hal once more and muttered, "We've never hugged in costume before…have we?"

"I don't think so," Hal looked to be thinking just as hard. "You've carried me before, but that's not the same…"

Wally put one of his toy spaceships onto the stage and made Puppet Batman jump onto it and fly away, "Later, idiots. I have a city to save."

"I'm more concerned with how he knows the exact way Bruce talks to us," Hal sniggered. Wally wrapped up his puppet show and had all the characters take little bows before turning the lights back on and demanding applause from Barry and Hal.

"What did you think?" Wally dipped into a low bow of his own and popped back up with a brilliant smile.

"I think it was the best damn puppet show _I've_ ever seen," Hal laughed, and Barry smacked him in the back of the head.

" _I_ think you both need to watch your language, but I loved it Wally," Barry put on his best poker face when Wally climbed onto the couch with him and accidentally bumped his legs. "But why did you want us to film it? Are you planning on making movies when you're older?"

Wally's pleased grin contorted into a grossed out look and he shook his head vigorously, "No way! I'm gonna be a scientist. This was just for fun."

"Know what you should do next?" Hal prompted him with a devious grin. "A play with real people. Your dad and I have _lots_ of friends who might want to be in it – as long as it's a superhero play, of course."

Barry shot him a warning glare. Hal loved to make jokes and dance around the hidden meaning in them that Wally had no way of knowing.

"No, I think I'm done with movies," Wally nestled into the corner of the couch opposite Barry and giggled while Hal picked at his exposed toes.

"Well, your first and final one was really good," Barry fondly watched the two people that he cared for most in the world laughing and poking at each other like family. He decided that 'like family' wasn't good enough anymore. "Wally, Hal and I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay?" Wally sensed the nervous tone in his voice and he gave them both his full attention.

Hal sat up straighter as well and shifted so that his back was no longer to the couch, "It's nothing bad, we promise."

"Starting next week, Hal is going to be living with us all the time," Barry saw Wally's eyes light up in joy at the news. "He's not going to be in Coast City anymore. And I know that you've wanted this for a long time, so we want to tell you the full reason why."

"I'm sure you've seen two people hold hands or kiss, right?" Hal asked. Wally nodded patiently. "Well, that usually means that those two people are _together_. Like a couple."

"You and Auntie were a couple," Wally smiled at Barry, eager to prove that he knew what Hal meant.

"We were," Barry nodded. "And if two people are a couple, it means that they love each other very much. What we wanted to tell you was that Hal and I are going to be a couple now."

Wally frowned and looked between them like he didn't understand.

"Uh, you might not have seen it very often, but a couple can be two girls, or two boys or…whatever…" Hal said awkwardly, trying to help explain it to Wally. "It doesn't have to be a boy and girl."

Wally continued to look confused, but he wasn't asking any questions. He was working out _something_ in his head, but wasn't giving any hints as to what it was.

"Are you okay with that, buddy? You're being kinda quiet," Hal gave Wally's foot a little shake to get his attention.

"Are you upset?" Barry looked at his son in concern. Wally wasn't reacting at all like he'd expected – with excitement or dismay. Maybe this was too big for him to handle…

"No. I'm confused," Wally cocked his head at them. His eyes were narrowed like he was trying to figure out if this was all a big joke or not. "I thought you guys were _already_ a couple."

"…How long have you thought that?" Barry asked in surprise.

"Since always," Wally told him like it was obvious.

Hal's mouth opened and shut, but no words came out. And Barry fixed him with a blank stare until they both burst out laughing. Wally had thought they were together long before either even realized they were interested in each other.

"Aren't you married?" Wally looked mad at being laughed at, and that set Hal off even more. He rolled onto his back and clutched his sides as he howled with laughter. Wally crossed his arms angrily at them both. "Yes you are!"

Barry's ribs felt like they were on fire, so he tried to calm down before he ended up making them heal crookedly, "We're really not married, Wally. I promise."

"Why not?" he was still pouting.

"Hey, don't get upset," Hal wiped the tears out of his eyes and tried to catch his breath. "We're not making fun of you. Your dad and I haven't been together long enough to get married. That's all."

Something seemed to occur to Wally all of a sudden, and he stared at them with wide eyes, "Is Hal going to be my mom then?"

Barry snorted out loud at the expression on Hal's face and nodded, "Yes he is."

" _NO I'M NOT!"_ Hal's mouth curved into a deep frown and he slapped one hand down right in the middle of one of the ice packs. Barry gasped in pain, still laughing, and rolled into the back of the couch to muffle his cries. "I'll just stay Uncle Hal, alright?"

Wally made a face and shook his head, "I don't like that anymore…"

"Well, what do you want to call me then?"

Barry heard Wally go quiet for a long moment and then say: "…Mom?"

Hal sighed in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose, "You can't call me 'mom'. I'm a man, Wally. That's embarrassing."

"What about Mommy?" Wally smiled innocently, but the devious gleam in his eyes gave away that he knew exactly what he was doing.

"Negative," Hal shuddered.

"I can't call you _both_ 'daddy'!" Wally threw his arms up in annoyance. "That's gonna be confusing. You won't know who I mean."

"Why do you want to call me mom or dad in the first place?" Hal shrugged.

Barry smiled at him and said nothing. Hal didn't get it yet.

Wally drew his knees up to his chest and hugged them shyly, "Because I love you, silly. Can't I have two dads?"

Hal got all choked up for a minute. Barry could've sworn he saw his eyes start to water, but Hal cleared his throat a few times and sniffed. He held his arms open, and Wally clambered into his lap happily, "You are seriously going to ruin my reputation as a tough guy, you know that? Why do you have to be so cute?"

"I don't wanna be cute," Wally stuck out his tongue in disgust while Barry tried to discreetly reach into his pocket to take a picture with his phone. Neither seemed to notice the movement.

"Well, _I_ don't want to be a mom," Hal shot back, pinching Wally's nose with two knuckles and pretending to steal it. "You can have your nose back when you think of an acceptable name to call me."

Wally gaped in horror at the thumb that Hal was parading around as his nose and immediately tried to feel his face to see if it was really gone, "Give it back!"

"Nope," Hal held his arms down and laughed.

"Daddy! Make him give it back," Wally fought like mad to get free, but Hal just yawned and taunted him by shaking the 'nose' in front of his face.

"I can't, buddy," Barry said absently without looking up from his phone. The picture he'd snapped showed Wally and Hal cuddling in front of the box stage. Hal had a goofy, sappy smile on his face that was just _perfect_. "You'd better think of some names fast. That nose is gonna rot and decay if it stays detached from your face for too long."

Wally's eyes tripled in size and he started frantically shouting out whatever name he could think of while Hal shot each one down. Barry reclined on the sofa and sent the photo to everyone Hal was on a first name basis with in the League.


	12. Chapter 12

Hal had to ditch flying completely and drop to his belly on the asphalt. Trying to stay airborne near a tornado was a little bit like dealing with the gravitational pull of a sun…except from every direction and all at once. And there were _six_ tornadoes currently tearing their way down the streets of Central City.

The buffeting winds picked up a bus and launched it right at him like it weighed nothing. Hal thrust his fist above his head and created a rock solid shield for the missile to hit instead. The vehicle's frame crunched on impact, groaning and screeching with the sound of twisting metal. The windows popped all at once, raining glass shards over the street around him.

Holy _shit_ , this was insane!

The only thing he could make out of Barry was a red blur outrunning the flying debris, and pulling trapped civilians to safety. The speedster was running around the base of one twister, going in the opposite direction. The funnel bent sideways, contorting and writhing in the sky like an angry serpent. Its shape expanded and broke apart against Barry's counter rotations, dissipating into harmless wisps.

Despite the dire circumstances, Hal couldn't help the pleased shiver that crawled up his spine. His boyfriend could tear apart one of the deadliest forces of nature with his bare hands. Encouraged, Hal's ring flared brighter and he faced Weather Wizard with determination.

The Rogue was standing atop the roof of the Flash museum, head thrown back and completely unaffected by the storm raging around them. Hal squinted at him through the slanted rain, wanting nothing more than to knock that smirk off his damn face. Then, something caught his eye.

The park surrounding the museum and the precisely sculpted lawn were destroyed – tree limbs and leaves _everywhere_ , crumbled statues and benches jutting out of the mud and ripped up grass like ruins, and pelting winds dragging metal signs through the air. But, the innermost area by the front steps was eerily still. The building was bone dry and the leaves on the trees didn't even rustle. There wasn't even a slight breeze.

Weather Wizard was in the calm of the storm.

A dark smile stretched across Hal's face and he got to his knees. The bastard was hiding from his own powers. And that just _wasn't_ cool. Hal would have to bring the storm to him.

He found Barry's blurry figure ripping another twister asunder. He had his hands full corralling a natural disaster and keeping the fatalities in the single digits. Hal needed to handle Mark Mardon.

But he had to get over there first.

Weather Wizard was at least sixty or seventy yards away, and Hal couldn't fly over to him. Fortunately, working out and training with a speedster regularly over the last six months had taught him how to marathon sprint. He was just as dangerous on the ground as in the air.

Hal bolted across the street, leaping over downed light poles and weaving around overturned cars. Whenever the wind threatened to blow him over, he tethered himself to the ground with construct chains and kept going. He vaulted over the iron perimeter fence and landed in a swampy mess of mud that slowed him down. Mardon had spotted him and started hurling a barrage of baseball sized hail at him. Hal created a funnel construct that fed into a pitching machine, and he shot them right back, aiming for center mass.

The ice bullets cracked into Weather Wizard's body and violently knocked him off his feet. The storm's intensity flickered enough for Hal to risk flying the rest of the way to the roof. He'd barely landed when Mardon directed a powerful jet of air at him, stealing the breath from his lungs. Hal threw up a drill shaped shield to cut the wind and slammed it into the Rogue's shoulder. Mardon rolled backwards onto his feet and raised an arm to the sky, his eyes glowing an unnatural yellow.

Not good.

Torrential rain fell down on him like a wall of lead and gushed over the side of the roof in a roaring waterfall. Hal was yanked off his feet by the force of the current and landed on his back. Water splashed against his face, and Hal had to fight to breathe. He was staring straight up at the dark, roiling storm clouds when he saw little forks of electricity crackling together in the air.

_Fuck!_

Hal fought to get away in time, but the massive column of lightning was already surging towards him like the swing of an executioner's axe. There wasn't even time for mortal terror to set in. He threw up a half-formed shield, and the lightning smashed through it. Hal felt his very skeleton get shoved into the roof, and the next thing he knew, he was falling through the ceiling.

The extreme heat flash boiled all the rain into scorching steam that left Hal lying motionless and blind. He'd landed on a display case that had buckled under his weight but not shattered.

Heavy drops of rain pelted his face, but Hal didn't even try to shield himself. He just stayed very still and took stock of his injuries, wondering vaguely why he was still alive. By all rights, that lightning strike – especially with all the water he was drowning in as a conductor – should've killed him. Hal hazarded a look at his limbs and kicked one leg out experimentally. Nothing was broken or burned, but it sure felt like a bus had run him over.

Deafening thunder rumbled overhead, and Hal heard the high-pitched chirping of a second bolt of lightning arcing down for him again. Hal dove off of the display case and hit the marble floor in a roll, immediately shrouding himself in protective light.

But, the glass didn't explode outwards. The lightning never hit home, instead getting blocked by a crude hard light construct that Hal hadn't made.

"What the-?" He gingerly got to his feet and looked up through the gaping hole in the ceiling. He heard more thunder rolling across the skies, and howling wind swirling overhead, and screaming cried of pain.

Not two seconds later, Weather Wizard hurtled through the roof and hit the wet floor with a loud smack. Blood splattered out from his broken nose and ruptured cheek. He groaned pitifully and tried to push himself up.

Hal didn't waste the opening. He willed a giant mallet construct to hammer Mardon back into the floor, making chains to bind his hands and feet together in a hog tie. Mardon spat out a mouthful of blood – and some teeth – and struggled again, his eyes beginning to glow once more. Hal slugged him in the face, "Stay the hell down!"

Weather Wizard went limp and lay unconscious in the puddle of blood and water. Hal staggered back and rested his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Oh man, metahumans _sucked_. Hal preferred a fist fight any day over this lightning and tornado crap. _No one_ should be allowed to play God with the elements like that.

Suddenly, a large man dropped through the hole and hovered right above the floor. He had bright hair that was almost as red as Wally's, an inexplicably irritating face, and a sleeveless green jacket with the Lantern symbol glowing softly over his heart. It was the rookie Lantern that had been assigned to earth.

He spotted Hal, and his blue eyes went wide in stunned disbelief, "You _survived_ that?! Damn… The other Lanterns said you were tough, but I thought you were a goner when I saw that lightning hit you! I was thinking: 'Well, crap. Your first mission, Guy, and you let your superior officer die.' But, there you are all not even hurt and junk. That's badass, brother."

Hal just stared at him blankly, his brain going too slowly to come up with a response.

The other Lantern stuck out a gloved hand, undaunted by his silence, "It's good to finally meet you, man. And in the thick of battle, too! Nothing like a good scrap, huh?"

"Uh…yeah," Hal clasped his hand awkwardly, trying to figure out what kind of accent he was hearing. Baltimore, maybe? "Did you…just say your name in front of a villain…? And where's your _mask_?"

"Sure did," He kicked Mardon lightly and watched him flop over bonelessly. "No worries; he's out cold. Name's Guy Gardner. I know the whole secret identity thing is a big deal, but I figure it's alright to tell you. We're Lantern brothers after all. I'm also not really into the whole mask thing. Why cover up this handsome face, am I right?"

Guy stood with his hands on his hips, chest stuck out, and a confident grin on his face. The way he spoke was just… so relaxed and flippant – like this was a typical day for him and Hal was some bro on his neighborhood basketball team.

"I guess," Hal rubbed the back of his head where a bruise was already forming. "What are you doing here? How'd you know where I was?"

"I used the ring to track you," Guy shrugged. "Just got back from Oa and I wanted to introduce myself before you thought I was stomping around your territory."

"Right, well uh…thanks for the save," Hal glanced up at the hole in the roof again where sunlight was beginning to stream in. "That second bolt of lightning would've ruined my whole day."

"Yeah, how did that not kill you?" Guy's face contorted into extreme confusion and he held up his own Lantern ring. "Kilowog told me in training that my constructs were only as strong as my will, yadda yadda, and they could break under enough force. I'm pretty sure lightning was in that extreme force category."

Hal didn't even try to cover it. He shrugged and flexed his shoulders. His body was sore, but it didn't feel any worse than normal after a fight, "I actually don't even know. I'm just as baffled as you are."

Guy opened his mouth to respond, and that's when Hal heard the whistling of an approaching speedster. Half an instant later, Barry was jerking to a stop beside him accompanied by a gust of wind and crackling electricity. Hal turned to greet him, and Guy shrieked in alarm and shot an energy blast that hit Barry directly in the chest and threw him back several feet.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Hal ran to Barry's side and frantically checked him over to see if he'd been hurt.

"I-I'm sorry!" Guy jerked his fist back, cringing at his mistake. "He surprised me! I just reacted! Oh man, is he okay?!"

Barry let Hal help him sit upright and he rubbed his ribcage, "Oof… Yeah, I'm alright."

"You don't just _attack_ people, you trigger-happy idiot!" Hal shouted at him furiously. Yes, it was an honest rookie screw up, but he could've seriously injured Barry. He wasn't going to let anyone get away with giving his man so much as a _paper cut_. "Learn some damn control!"

"It's not a big deal, GL," Barry shook it off. "I've been hit harder."

"Oh, that's insulting…" Guy crossed his arms, looking sorta miffed.

Hal whirled on him with one shaking finger, "Shut up!"

"I was actually checking to see if _you_ were alright. I thought I saw you get hit by lightning, but I guess not," Barry was frowning at Hal, reaching out to peel back the collar of his uniform and expose unburnt skin.

"No, he totally did," Guy smiled and patted Hal on the back, incorrectly assuming he'd been forgiven. "It was awesome."

Barry turned alarmed eyes back onto Hal, "Why aren't you hurt?"

"No idea," Hal said, throwing his arms out to the side. "Can we figure that bit out after we get Mardon to the police? All the tornadoes are gone, right?"

"Yep. I got most of them myself, and the last one fizzled out without Mardon controlling it," Barry zipped over to Weather Wizard and hefted him onto his shoulder. "I'm gonna run him to the Meta containment unit before he wakes up. I'll meet you outside in a few minutes."

"Got it," Hal flashed him a thumbs up and waited until Barry was gone before turning on Guy once more with a scowl. "Listen up, rookie. If you hurt him again, I'll break off all your fingers. I think you'll have a little bit of trouble using that ring without them."

Guy's eyebrows pulled together and he looked to the side, "I don't think that's how it works. I definitely saw aliens on Oa that didn't even _have_ fingers. So…"

"Not the point. I'll break off your face if that works better for you," Hal's ring started sparking threateningly.

"Relax! It was an accident," Guy held out his hands. "I didn't _want_ to hurt him. I'm not gonna do it on purpose. What is he, your best friend or something?"

Hal grabbed him by the collar, fixing him with a dark glare, "He's my lover, you dickwad!"

"Oh. _Oh_ ," Guy's expression showed astonishment for a moment. Then he looked back at one of Barry's old suits on display that the speedster had donated to the museum and started nodding with a sly grin on his face. "The Flash, huh? You dog. I heard that you were something of a ladies man, but you're baggin the dudes too? _Respect_."

Hal just eyed the fist that Guy was holding out for a bump and sighed. He _really_ wanted to dislike the guy, but he was making it difficult. As forced backup went, Guy wasn't the _worst_ that he could get…even if he did shoot Barry the second he saw him.

"Look," Hal pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes. "This is a bad time. I'm really late for something thanks to this whole attack thing. How about we do this whole 'meeting each other' thing tomorrow and I'll buy you a beer?"

"With how rude you've been after I went out of my way to save your ass?" Guy's friendly demeanor suddenly turned darker, but the smile never left his face. "You're buying me five."

He slapped Hal amicably on the back and lifted into the air to make his exit through the hole in the roof, "Catch you later, comrade. _I'll_ call _you_."

Hal stayed still, looking at the wrecked ceiling where the second bolt of lightning that might have killed him came from. He didn't know why he wasn't hurt, but it could have been a fluke the first time. Guy definitely saved him, and he'd flown headlong into a fight where he knew nothing about the players involved – just to help someone he hadn't even officially met at the time.

Hal rubbed his face, wiping off rainwater, and let a small smile worm its way onto his face. Alright, so Guy wasn't terrible. Hal made a mental note to be nicer to him next time around. He'd go after him and apologize right now, but he and Barry were supposed to be in Star City fifteen minutes ago taking Wally to his playdate with Roy.

He and Barry had been on a very rare date of their own when Weather Wizard decided to rampage through the Flash Museum attacking tourists. Diana was watching Wally for them, and Hal _really_ didn't like making her mad by being late. Lat _er_.

Hal flew out to the front steps where Barry was gathering fallen branches and debris. He'd stacked everything into a huge pile that almost went up to the knees of the Flash statue erected at the entrance gates. "They've got cleanup crews for this, Flash."

Barry flickered over to his side and shrugged. His suit was muddy and ripped, but his smile was as vibrant as ever, "Here's a tip for you, GL. Your city will like you a lot more if you help out with the damage. They're much more forgiving when your fights make a mess."

"You're so right," Hal rolled his eyes. Barry was too considerate sometimes. But then again, that was probably why he had a one hundred foot tall statue that had been built in his honor and Hal did not. Hal chewed his lip and created a construct to shovel the big hunks of marble into the pile. "There. We helped. Now, let's go. Diana's gonna yell at us for taking so long."

"She actually took Wally to California for us," Barry tapped his earpiece. "I think she saw us on the news and figured we'd be kinda late. So, we just have to meet her there."

"Oh. How did she get him over there?" Hal narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Dunno, but I highly doubt she blew her identity doing it. She knows that we want to wait until Wally's older to tell him about our double lives. Now, how do _you_ want to get there? We can catch a zeta beam, or I can carry you."

"You are _not_ carrying me," Hal crossed his arms stubbornly. At the same time, something tackled him and Hal was suddenly moving backwards so fast that the world around him turned into stretched out lines of color. He was jerked to a smooth stop before he had time to even register that Barry had carried him anyway. They were no longer in front of the Flash Museum. Instead, the Queen Mansion loomed tall above them. Barry had stopped in the middle of the lush gardens clustered against the wall of the east wing where they had some cover.

Barry swiftly changed out of his uniform and couldn't help grinning like an idiot, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Hal wobbled on unsteady legs, letting his costume draw back into his ring, "Damnit, do _not_ superspeed me places without warning me first!"

"Come on," Barry put his hands on his hips. "You go nearly lightspeed when you're traveling to Oa. That wasn't even _close_."

"Ugh, yeah, _in space_. There's a big difference. Out there, things are millions of miles apart," Hal waved his arms around to articulate his point. "But on Earth, there are all these goddamn trees and bus stops and _people_ all tearing by you like some horrible acid trip!"

"Oh…" Barry frowned thoughtfully, digging around in his pocket. "Sorry, I don't really see things like that when I'm running. I forget that your brain doesn't process things as fast as mine. You want some headache medicine?"

"We are beyond that," Hal blocked the sunlight shining through the shrubbery with his hands and tried to ignore the severe pounding in his eyeballs.

"How 'bout some hard liquor then?" someone called down at them.

Hal and Barry both looked up to see Ollie leaning over the stone railing of the patio above them. He was grinning and shaking a short glass with amber liquid in it enticingly.

"Yessssss," Hal full on scaled the stone wall, rolling over the railing and onto his feet rather gracefully. Barry opted to circle around and take the stairs up. The first thing Hal noticed was the magnificent bottle of top shelf scotch sitting on the ornate patio table just calling to him. Ollie had the _best_ alcohol.

The second thing he noticed was the Amazon princess dressed in unassuming civilian clothes holding the rapt attention of two young red-haired boys. She was reclining in a lounge chair with one shapely leg crossed over the other and a pair of sunglasses resting in her hair. Wally and Roy were both sitting at her feet with glasses of lemonade, listening to her tell them stories of Greek myth.

Jealousy flared up in Hal and he completely forgot about the scotch.

He dearly wished he'd downed half the bottle a second later when Wally noticed him and immediately started waving, "Hi, Mom!"

Ollie spat out his drink, Diana's eyes narrowed in confusion, Roy looked at Wally like he was stupid, and Barry started choking on his own laughter.

"Mom?" Diana looked down at Wally for explanation, her lyrical voice tinged with amusement.

Wally cupped a hand around his mouth and whispered to her, "He and Daddy are a couple. That means they're in love. So, it also means he's my mom!"

"Wally!" Hal snapped, face going red. So far, no one in the League had guessed that he and Barry were together. Well, that's not entirely true… He was pretty sure J'onn was beginning to get it – if the dark shades of green he turned whenever Hal _vividly_ imagined screwing Barry into a mattress were any indication. He assumed that was the equivalent of a Martian blush. In any case, it wasn't Hal's fault. Barry still hadn't given it up, and Hal was becoming so sexually frustrated that his imagination was getting out of hand.

He didn't want anyone to _tell_ the League, though. He'd wanted to see how long it took them to find out.

"What?" Wally shot back, frowning like he didn't understand what Hal was mad about. It wasn't exactly his fault. They hadn't told him _not_ to tell anyone…

Diana scrutinized him closely, her eyes jumping over to Barry every few seconds as she put the pieces together. She looked down at Wally and how he was watching Hal adoringly. Then she seemed to get it and tilted her head to the side with a smile, "Barry, you can do better."

The twinkle in her eye was teasing, but Hal still bristled at the barb. Barry slung an arm around his shoulders though and tossed him a wink, "No. I can't."

Hal _didn't_ get warm fuzzies and his heart definitely didn't speed up.

Diana just smiled wider at them and stood up, "I need to be getting back. Ollie, it was good to see you."

"You too, princess," the archer raised his glass at her with a lazy grin.

"And I'll see you both soon, little ones," she crouched down in front of the children and touched their faces fondly. Wally beamed, soaking up the affection like a sponge, but Roy looked physically ill that a _girl_ was giving him cooties.

"Thanks for watching Wally, Di," Barry waved her off and told the kids to go play. Hal flopped down next to Ollie and took the drink that was pushed into his hands. Fall was starting to set in over in Missouri, but Star City was still warm and balmy this time of year. Barry seemed to enjoy the extra sunshine as well, because he had his eyes closed and face turned up at the sky. "Sorry we're late. Are Roy and Wally getting along okay?"

"Roy's a bit grumpy today, but Wally doesn't seem very fazed about it," Ollie nodded at where the two kids were pushing leaves into a giant pile at the bottom of the porch stairs. Wally was smiling hard and chattering away at the older boy nonstop like he was having the time of his life. Roy seemed less than pleased, but his blue eyes were glued to Wally curiously. Hal knew that it was normal for Roy to be a bit more withdrawn so he wasn't worried. If anyone could bring him out of his rock hard shell, it was Wally. "They'll be fine. So, what happened in Central? Weather alerts have been going off all day for the area."

"Mark Mardon," Hal told him offhandedly. "Wasn't a big deal."

"Hal got struck by lightning and it trying to pretend like it's nothing," Barry tattled on him absently, keeping one eye on Roy and Wally. They were taking turns jumping onto the pile of crunchy leaves from the banister.

Ollie's eyes bugged out, and Hal shot Barry a dirty look. He reached out to pat Hal down for injuries, and Hal smacked his hands away, "Geez, do you need a doctor? I have a couple really discreet ones on call."

"No. I'm fine," Hal sighed in irritation. He didn't like being fussed over and Barry _knew_ it. "I don't know why, but I don't even have a scratch. Yeah, it's weird, but let's drop it okay?"

"I know why," Ollie said cryptically, his concern vanishing abruptly. Both Hal and Barry looked at him in surprise.

"You do?"

Ollie looked over his shoulder to make sure the kids were out of earshot before he spoke. They were still playing in the leaves, trying to outdo each other with stunt jumps and tricks. Satisfied, Ollie pointed right at Barry, "It's a no brainer, fellas. Who do we know whose symbol is a lightning bolt? Barry. Who are you currently dating and spending the majority of your time with? _Barry_."

"I don't have any control over lightning, though," Barry reasoned.

"Uh-huh," Ollie nodded skeptically. "That's why I always see it trailing behind you whenever you run, right?"

"That's static electricity that's generated when I run," Barry was still trying to explain it away, but his expression had turned pensive. "Lightning is-"

"Electricity." Ollie finished for him, unimpressed. "I'm telling you, this has something to do with how close you two are. Don't you guys ever worry about getting cancer or something if you stand too close to Captain Atom?"

"No," Hal laughed at the ridiculous idea. "His containment suit keeps in all the radiation. You know how Nate it. He wouldn't let himself be around any of us if he thought there was any risk."

"You sound like an old woman who's afraid to stand next to the microwave when it's on," Barry chuckled.

"Laugh all you want," Ollie shrugged. "But I'd bet my bow that you're getting immune to electric shocks."

"I'm not turning into a speedster," Hal cocked an eyebrow at his friend. Ollie was making it sound like Barry was poisonous and that he was infecting Hal somehow. He looked at Barry to see if he was offended, but he was staring very intensely at the ground and his mind was going a thousand miles a minute. "Oh, come on Barry, you don't believe that, do you?"

"Not that you're becoming a speedster. But, what if it's something else?" Barry checked to make sure the coast was clear before rubbing his hands together at superspeed to create a charge. He tapped the bare skin of Hal's forearm before he could jerk away. His arm got hot and tingled a little, but nothing else. Barry built up another charge and touched Ollie's shoulder. There was a loud _zap_ , and the archer jerked away in surprise.

" _Ow!_ " Ollie rubbed his shoulder, gesturing to Barry excitedly. " _See?!_ I told you!"

"That was the same voltage," Barry admitted quietly. Great… Now he was worried. "You _are_ immune to shocks."

"Well, so what?" Hal said quickly. "It's not a bad thing if that's what's happening. It saved my life. Thanks a lot, Bear."

He clapped Barry on the back and smiled wide, but it didn't seem to alleviate his concerns. "I'll talk to Bruce tomorrow and see if he can help figure this out. If being around me is doing something to you-"

"Then it won't matter, cause I'm not going anywhere," Hal interrupted him and crossed his arms stubbornly. He highly doubted that he'd get tumors and all his hair would fall out just because he was snuggling with a speedster. But even if it did, that would be alright. Barry was worth it. Besides, he was one hundred percent sure he'd come into contact with more dangerous things out in space.

"Well, that's very nice, but you're forgetting about Wally. If you're being affected, then he probably is too," Barry ran his hands through his hair.

That made Hal freeze, and he worried for a second until he remembered something, "Actually…I feel fantastic. I have for awhile. If being around you is doing anything to me, it's making be better. So, look into it if it'll calm your nerves, but remember that both Wally and I have been around you for years and neither of us have grown extra limbs or turned purple. At least not to my knowledge…"

It didn't look like Barry knew what to say to that. He just hunched over with his head resting on his fist and his brow furrowed. Hal held his head a little higher and smiled smugly as he downed the rest of his glass. It took talent to render a speedster speechless.

Ollie glanced between them both throughout the exchange, nodding like he thought he was a therapist or something, "This is all very dramatic and soap opera-y, but you're both going to ruin the day with your angsting. Let's focus on something positive."

"You're one to talk about angsting," Hal looked pointedly at the bottle of scotch on the table. "Drinking in the middle of the day."

"Hey, it's after noon," Ollie said defensively. "And I'm not angsting. I'm celebrating."

"Celebrating what?" Barry asked half-heartedly.

"I've got a hot date tomorrow night," Ollie's grin became impossibly huge. Every inch of his demeanor screamed that he was pleased with himself.

Hal snorted with laughter, "Finally gave up on Black Canary?"

"The date is _with_ Black Canary," he scowled.

"Oh," Barry sat upright, taking the friend reins from Hal while he collected his jaw from the floor. "Where are you two going?"

"The Glades," Ollie reported happily, switching moods immediately.

Barry and Hal exchanged a confused look. "You're taking the woman that you've been losing your ever-loving mind over for the last year to the worst, most run down part of Star City? Why?"

"Well, it's more _she's_ taking _me_ there," Ollie shifted a little in his seat. Some of his confidence withered. "We're taking down an international arms smuggling group together."

"Ollie…" Barry tilted his head to the side and fixed the archer with a reluctant grimace. "That's not a date. That's just her asking for help fighting crime."

"I dunno. You haven't heard half the stories that Ollie's told me about this woman. If she asked him for help with something, than that's real progress," Hal reclined in his seat and patted Ollie on the back. "I'm happy for you, buddy."

"Thank you," he hooked one leg over the other and beamed.

Hal didn't have any idea if Black Canary was ever going to be anything more than tolerant of Ollie, but at least his friend was happy. Ollie really needed someone to – wait… He couldn't hear leaves crunching anymore. Or laughter. Hal twisted around in the chair and looked down to the scattered pile of leaves at the bottom of the porch steps. The pile hadn't been built up again, and both kids were nowhere in sight.

"Roy?" Hal called suddenly, standing up and scanning the beautifully landscaped grounds behind the mansion. "Wally?"

The wind rustled the trees into a soft chorus and birds sang in the distance. Hal listened more closely and called their names again. No answer. His gut twisted nervously and he could feel Barry and Ollie's eyes on him when he jogged to the end of the patio.

"Oh, holy crap," Hal's hands went to his hair in panic. "They're gone. Did you guys see where they went?"

Barry was down the patio steps and onto the lawn in seconds, yelling for his son with an anxious look on his face. Ollie merely went to the open doors to the house and jerked his thumb to indicate that was where he was headed, "They probably just went inside for a snack. Just calm down and hang here a second. I'll go ask the staff if they saw the boys."

He disappeared into the mansion, and Hal went over to Barry who was padding across the grass and searching under the bushes lining the walls, "I should have been watching him more."

"They were twenty feet away from us," Hal tried to reassure him, but it felt hollow. "I didn't think we'd have to watch him as closely here either. Ollie's got more security guarding his mother than the president does. They've got to be playing hide and seek or something."

"Remember when Wally was four and he used to take off on me all the time?" Barry shot him a skeptical look. "I know better."

"He does need a leash," Hal agreed. He'd taken Wally with on a trip to the supermarket once and lost him in the frozen food aisle after turning his back literally for three seconds.

"Guys!" Ollie was back outside and beckoning them to come back, so Barry and Hal jogged up the steps to the patio. A pretty, young maid was standing with Ollie and she had her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Her lips were drawn tight in anger and she had a small, reddening mark on her forehead. When Hal opened his mouth to ask if he'd found the kids, Ollie grimly held up a toy arrow with a suction cup for a tip. "Amanda here saw the boys run inside a few minutes ago and when she asked them where they were going, Roy shot her in the face with _this_."

"What…?" Hal cocked his head to the side and took the plastic arrow to look at it up close. "Does he do this a lot?"

"It's Roy's favorite game," the maid named Amanda answered sharply. The muscle in her jaw was jumping severely. "He calls it 'Hunt the Giants'."

"Everyone over the age of ten is a 'giant'," Ollie pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He placed a hand on Amanda's back and smiled apologetically. "Why don't you go ahead and take the rest of the day off, dear. We'll find the boys."

Amanda raised an ungrateful eyebrow at Ollie and nodded tersely before stalking back into the house. Hal got the feeling that this happened a lot more than it should.

Barry seemed to be breathing a bit easier knowing that Wally was just hiding from him playing a game, "Who does Roy usually go after when he does this? Is there a route he takes through the house?"

"He goes after anyone. And he actually hunts you down," Ollie said helplessly. "I've lived in this mansion my entire life and I thought I knew every secret cubby and hiding place in the building. Roy has somehow found ones I didn't even know were there. He can go all the way from the east wing to the west wing without being seen. It's impressive, really, but it means he and Wally could be anywhere."

Hal lowered his voice and glanced up at the windows high above them, "Which means they could be watching us right now…so no powers to help us find them."

"Exactly," Ollie nodded reluctantly.

"Well, great," he headed towards the open patio doors into the lavishly decorated sitting room. "Should we split up then?"

"No, stay together. They're hunting us, remember? We have a better chance of keeping them in one place if we are too."

"Lead on then," Barry put his hands on his hips and jerked his head towards the nearest hallway. "It's _your_ house."

"You don't have to act so high and mighty with the parenting skills," Ollie grumbled, heading left out of the sitting room. "Your son took off too. You have equal-"

A toy arrow came whistling past Hal's face and smacked into the back of Ollie's head with a loud 'pop'. He flailed to get it off and they all whipped around expecting to see the kids standing there but the hallway was empty. Hal immediately scanned the walls and ceiling, looking over every painting and statue on a pedestal. A shadow moved behind one of the colossal potted plants and the leaves swayed softly as muffled, childlike laughter filled the air.

"Dammit, Roy!" Ollie growled in frustration. He sprinted to the end of the hall trying to catch them, waving the arrow threateningly. "You better stop this right now and get back here! What have I told you about shooting the maids?!"

"We got really lucky with Wally," Hal muttered through his teeth, leaning towards Barry. The speedster nodded and followed Ollie into the next room.

It was empty too. Hal thought he saw the curtains rustle, but they were sheer and he didn't see any silhouettes on the other side. The three men fanned out cautiously, senses on high alert and eyes open wide for danger. Another arrow came hurtling at Hal's head and he had to resist the urge to catch it in midair. _That_ would be suspicious. Instead, he let the toy strike him and fall to the floor. Whirling around, he saw Wally hunkered down on top of a china cabinet with a colorful bow in his hands. A mad little grin was on his face as he stared back. Roy was kneeling beside him, aiming an arrow at Barry while his back was turned.

"Get down from there, you little snipers!" Hal ran at the cabinet as fast as he could. Both boys laughed and dropped behind the tall wooden shelves. Hal quickly pulled it away from the wall and checked behind, expecting to catch at least one of them. The grate that covered an air vent was propped up against the wall beside the open hatch, and the sound of hands and knees scrabbling across metal echoed from the vent.

"Are you kidding me?" Hal crouched down and peered into the vent. All he could see was darkness.

Ollie leaned over his shoulder to get a better look. He stroked his beard thoughtfully, "Hmm. Clever lads… So, that's how Roy's been getting around unseen. He's in the _walls_."

"That is _not_ normal," Hal elbowed him aside and got to his feet. "He's a kid, not some black ops soldier going on missions to terrorize the staff."

"You sure about that?" Barry said absently.

"Are you trying to tell me that you wouldn't treat the ventilation system like secret passages if you were his age?" Ollie cocked an eyebrow at him in disbelief. He outright laughed and straightened up, collecting Wally's arrow from the floor.

"I wouldn't attack my parents!" Hal sputtered, changing the subject and dashing into the foyer to follow the vent through the wall. He could still hear the boys hurrying along in the tunnel. "And are we going to ignore the fact that Roy seems to have an affinity for headshots?"

"He's just got good aim," Ollie huffed as they raced up the angular staircase to the second floor. Barry was ahead of them, keeping one ear to the walls and his eyes peeled for more vent covers.

One of the smaller paintings hanging up swung sideways on its nail and Roy popped his head and shoulders out. He shot Ollie in the knee and tried to disappear back into the wall, but Barry grabbed the bow and wrestled it free. Roy cut his losses and ducked out of sight after sticking his tongue out in defiance. Barry pulled the painting aside again to pursue him. The wall behind the painting was solid with hinges and a little trapdoor carved into the plaster. Barry was unable to stop himself from laughing, "I feel like we're in a cartoon right now."

He tossed the toy bow to Ollie and stepped back to get a wider view of the long hallway. Hal traced the path that the boys would have to take in his memory and figured that they would end up somewhere near the bathroom in the east wing. He knew the Queen mansion pretty well considering how often he'd been here over the years. Hopefully, he still knew it better than Roy. Hal motioned for Barry and Ollie to follow him and he sprinted around the corner to head the kids off.

There was a maid cleaning the guest bathroom when Hal barged in, and she startled when he hit the large, ornate vent cover in the center of the wall, "Don't mind me! I'm just trying to catch a couple mice right quick."

He blocked his hand from view and used a small ring construct to unscrew the hatch from the wall. This one was big enough for him to fit into, and he reached in right as Roy and Wally were crawling past. Wally shrieked when Hal hooked an arm around his waist and lifted him out of the wall. He grabbed Roy's ankle before he could get away, and dragged him out too, grinning when Roy laughed and kicked to get free, "Got you now!"

The maid watched in confusion as Barry took Wally and pried the bow out of his hands. He executed the punishment of a tickle attack, sending peals of hysterical giggling ringing off the walls. Hal turned Roy to look at Barry and pointed, "You shoot at us again, and I'm gonna hand you over to _him_."

Roy eyed Wally's mad struggling with cautious apprehension, but he threw his head back defiantly and fixed Hal with a look, " _Do it_. I'm not scared."

"Oh my God you're mouthy," Hal flicked Roy's nose and set him on his feet. "You should just accept defeat gracefully."

"I wouldn't have to if Wally wasn't so _slow_ ," Roy grumbled.

"You were in front of me!" Wally wriggled out of Barry's hands and shot Roy an indignant scowl. "If anyone was going slow, it was you!"

"I was going slow on purpose so you could keep up. You woulda gotten lost and cried like a little _baby_ if I hadn't."

"Would _not!_ "

"Alright," Ollie stepped in and sent Roy a stern look. "Enough of that. You boys have to fight nicely. Got it?"

"Yeah," Wally and Roy chorused together morosely. They jinxed each other immediately and Roy pinched Wally's arm in triumph.

Hal tried not to laugh, watching Wally rub his arm and push Roy over in retaliation. This whole friendship thing was probably going to end in a flop, but at least they tried – and it was funny to watch. "You two can go up to Roy's room and play if you promise not to use any weapons or hunt any more people."

"Fine," Roy rolled his eyes and exchanged looks with Wally. He slapped a hand to Wally's shoulder and then took off out of the bathroom. "Tag! You're it!"

Wally overbalanced and nearly fell over. Barry went to steady him reflexively, but Wally didn't need it. A determined glint shone in his eyes and he tore after Roy with a vengeance. Hal heard two sets of rapid footsteps and then a muffled thud and 'oof' as Wally undoubtedly caught up with and tackled Roy. He peered around the corner and saw them both wrestle briefly on the floor before Wally hopped up and sprinted away down the hallway with Roy hot on his heels.

"I can't tell if they like each other or not…" Barry said from beside him, frowning in confusion.

"They're gonna be good friends," Ollie said with confidence, leading the way back downstairs. "That's just how boys are – healthy, best friends that beat each other up."

"Barry and I don't do that," Hal made a face.

Barry slugged him hard in the shoulder and flashed a dazzling smile as he walked past, "Yes we do."

Hal stuck his tongue out, massaging the pain out of his arm.

"Are you kidding me?!" Ollie stopped on the staircase and cocked his head at them. "I'm _still_ not the best friend?! You two are already sleeping together; you can't be best friends _too_."

"Sure we can," Barry shrugged, moving by him nonchalantly. "And in case you haven't figured it out yet, you're not his best friend because you're his brother."

Ollie went quiet and stared after him in surprise. He frowned and thought about that for a minute before straightening up and smiling, "I guess that's acceptable."

Hal didn't hear the rest of their conversation. He stared down at his feet unhappily, hanging back so he could think. He and Barry _weren't_ sleeping together – not the way Ollie meant anyways. They didn't talk about it, didn't hint at it, and even the experimenting had stopped. Hal didn't have any idea what was wrong. He was almost positive that he'd thrown out more than sufficient clues that he was interested. Barry was a smart guy. He was supposed to pick up on it and meet Hal halfway, but he wasn't. _Why?_ Not knowing was driving Hal crazy.

Frustrated, Hal shoved it to the back of his mind and followed his friends downstairs.

They spent the rest of the day talking about developments in the Justice League. Two more heroes had been recruited since Captain Atom. Coincidentally, the first was a hero out of Ivy Town named Atom. He had the ability to shrink down to any size he wanted, which Hal didn't think was all that useful. Barry, however, had endlessly expressed how impressive he thought the Atom's abilities were. Many times, Hal would walk into a room in Mt. Justice to find Barry talking animatedly to himself when really Atom was on his shoulder speaking back just as excitedly, discussing physics or forensic science. Surprisingly, _Hawkman_ of all people was the Leaguer that seemed to click with Atom the most.

The other new recruit hadn't exactly been 'voted' in. He was coated in the same alien metal as Captain Atom and had the same Quantum Field manipulation powers. Both heroes had been sanctioned by the US government to join the Justice League. The only difference between them was that Captain Atom was chosen by the League for membership, and _Major Force_ had been inserted in exchange for the Air Force's permission to launch the Watchtower in secret from the general populace upon its completion. No one was overly thrilled to have the government's hands in League operations, but there wasn't any other way to go about concealing the launch from the rest of the world.

Major Force wasn't _awful_ or anything. He was brash and more than a little rude, but Hal figured that the same things could be said about _him_ when he was first starting out…and when he was drunk. Major Force was undeniably a powerful asset to the League's roster of heavy hitters, yet Hal couldn't help being mistrustful of him. For one, Captain Atom had very vocally opposed his addition to the League until he was blue in the face. Second, Major Force had a tendency to be more violent than the situation required on missions. And third, there was just something _off_ about the way he watched the members of the League when he thought no one could see him. Hal had kept his concerns to himself so far, but he also kept a sharp eye on whatever Major Force did and said.

It was probably just paranoia, but Hal didn't want to take any chances.

By the end of the conversation, Hal got the feeling that Barry and Ollie agreed with him judging by the unease in their voices when the topic was brought up. They were just talking about the possibility of a hero named Black Lightning being selected as a candidate for membership next when Roy and Wally came downstairs and demanded that the five of them watch a movie together. After it was decided that Barry and Hal would stay the night as well, Ollie had a guest room prepared for them while the movie played. The boys gorged themselves on popcorn and candy, getting along much better now than they had initially, and they were both dead to the world by the end credits.

Around midnight, Ollie carried the boys up to Roy's room to tuck them in and announced that he was going to sleep too. Since midnight was far too early for Hal to even be tired, he and Barry moved to the kitchen so they wouldn't wake anyone up. Barry was at the marble top counter thumbing through a rare book from the Queen library and Hal was rummaging through the cupboards examining all the weird, expensive food there was to pass the time.

He picked up a jar of caviar, absently deciding that it must be Moira Queen's because there was no way in hell that Ollie would choose that over a jar of marshmallow fluff. Hal put it back and turned over a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette to see if the price sticker was still on it. _Eighty friggin dollars_. Hal carefully set it down with wide eyes and backed away, spotting some gourmet chocolate sauce in the far corner. Man, he _really_ wanted to write his name on Barry's chest with it. He could vividly imagine dipping his finger in the chocolate and dragging it down Barry's skin, drawing patterns and tracing them with his tongue, making the speedster squirm…

Hal shut the cabinet door and pulled his collar away from his throat. It was getting a little warmer in here than he'd like. He needed a distraction. Hal shoved two slices of bread into the shiny toaster and grabbed a jar of jam out of the fridge, keeping his back to Barry the whole time. If he wasn't careful, he was going to turn into a stress eater.

The toast popped up and Hal started aggressively spreading jam over it. A large glob flew off his knife and landed on the immaculate floor with a barely audible plop. Hal sighed in frustration, glaring down at the jelly like it was a truly dumb metaphor for his life, and something inside him snapped. Forget the subtle track. Hal was going to _make_ Barry notice him.

Glancing over his shoulder and seeing that the blond wasn't paying any attention, Hal cleared his throat loudly, "Dammit."

Barry looked up at him right as Hal whipped off his shirt as sensually as he could manage. He bent down and used his shirt as a rag to wipe the jam up, making sure to arch his back a little and shoot unmistakable bedroom eyes at the speedster.

Barry narrowed his eyes in blank confusion and set down his book. "What are you doing? There are paper towels like _right_ next to you."

Hal gave him an incredulous look and rested one hand on his hip, mouth hanging slightly open in disbelief.

"And put a shirt on. Wally's gonna think it's okay to go trouncing around half naked. He watches you more than you think. Also, you're getting the stain out of that shirt yourself. That's blackberry juice," Barry lectured mildly before turning the page in his book and going right back to it.

Hal gave a cry of mad frustration and chucked the shirt dramatically across the room. It only flew about three feet before hitting the floor with a splat, "Oh my god! You're so dense!"

Barry was confused and startled, leaning back on the barstool, _"What?_ "

Hal gestured to his own naked, muscled torso in exasperation, "I've been trying to seduce you for like the last three months! And you're givin me _nothing!_ "

Barry's eyes went wide in surprise and he straightened up in his chair, setting down the ancient book again. His face heated up in embarrassment and he looked slightly to the left like he was thinking about everything that had happened between them recently, " _Oh_. I thought you were just being an insufferable narcissist…"

Hal shot him a withering glare and got all huffy and insulted, "What?! Even _you_ aren't that blind!"

"Hey!" Barry defended himself. He gestured between himself and Hal. "I don't know how all this works. It's still really weird for me."

"You don't know how 'it' works?" Hal raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down impatiently.

Barry flushed an even deeper red, "I know how 'that' works. I meant all this flirting. You are _really_ confusing, you know that? One week you're all over me, shoving your hands up my shirt and giving me all these really awkward marks on my neck that I have to explain to my coworkers. And the next week, you won't come within two feet of me."

"I…" Hal stammered, caught off guard at how perceptive Barry was. All this time, he'd thought Barry was oblivious to his advances when really he was just confused. "I didn't know if you wanted to sleep together or not. I was…trying to find out."

"Why didn't you just say something?" Barry held his arms out to the side in a shrug.

"I don't know! I thought you'd get offended if I just up and asked you for sex," Hal shook his head, feeling stupider as the seconds wore on.

"Offended?" Barry breathed out in a laugh. "Hal, that's what I _expect_ from you, you dork. Why do you think I stopped pressuring _you_ for it? You weren't acting like yourself, so I backed off."

Hal went very quiet and stared back at Barry while realizations that he was an idiot went off in his head. Well, of course Barry hadn't known how to respond to him. Hal was famous for knowing what he wanted and going after it without hesitation. He didn't _tiptoe_ around the things he desired. But he hadn't been going about this like he usually would.

"Despite the whole speedster thing, I can be pretty patient when it's important. I didn't want to push you into something you weren't ready for."

"Oh no," Hal shook his head rapidly and curled his fingers in a frantic wave to invite Barry closer. "I want you to back _on_."

Barry smiled and slid off the stool, flicking one hand at the ceiling above them, "We're not at home, Hal. This is Oliver's house."

"He had a guest room prepared for us," Hal practically skipped the rest of the way to him. He hooked his fingers through the belt loops on Barry's jeans and tugged him closer.

"Yeah, I don't think he did that so we could knock boots."

"He gave us _one_ guest room, not two," Hal reasoned. "What did he think we were gonna do – play cards? Trust me, Ollie would consider it a job well done if we were 'knockin boots' under his roof. By the way, where the hell do you come up with these phrases? Do you think you're a cowboy or something?"

Barry slid his fingers around the back of Hal's neck and sent electric waves racing down his spine, "Tonight? Well, that's up to you."

Hal's eyes bugged out and giddy laughter bubbled up in his chest. A huge grin spread across his face and he glanced side to side in case someone was listening in, "Oh, _please_ tell me you're the 'lady on the street, freak in the bed' type."

"I'm not a lady…" Barry narrowed his eyes a little.

"No, no, of course not," Hal winked, still smiling. "I can be the lady the first time around if you want."

"That's not what...I meant…" he sighed uncomfortably, letting his hand drop a bit. "Nevermind. Take the reins, partner."

"You got it," Hal agreed eagerly, tearing at the buttons on Barry's shirt and moving in for a kiss.

Barry ducked out of his arms at the last second and let Hal face plant into the counter. He was across the room and leaning against the doorframe an instant later with his arms crossed over his exposed chest. Barry sent Hal a seductive smirk and rocked back on his heels, "Just kidding. You've got to catch me first."

A rush of heat coiled through Hal's intestines and he licked his lips in anticipation, "And when I do…?"

Barry's body became a blur and he disappeared without warning.

Hal launched after him, making a beeline for the room Ollie had shown them earlier. He almost knocked over a priceless vase, took the stairs four at a time, and flipped up the carpet runner in the hallway when he tripped over it. He could feel the tail end of the breeze that Barry had left in his wake, getting excited at how reckless the speedster was being. Hal sprinted the rest of the way to their room where the door was open and waiting, and was immediately tripped when he set foot into the darkness.

Two rough hands caught him before he fell and pinned him to the wall. Barry was suddenly right there, locking their lips together and working at the waistband of his jeans. Hal's heart beat frantically in his chest as he pulled Barry's shirt the rest of the way off, trying not to make a mess of it with fingers numbed by the harmless electricity jumping through his nerves. He shifted away from the kiss and went straight for the weak spot under Barry's ear, scraping his teeth over the sensitive skin.

Right on cue, the speedster's whole body started moving in a low hum. Hal smiled against the vibrating skin and looked up at blue eyes half-lidded in passion, "Does the purring mean you like it?"

"Shut up," Barry murmured, yanking them both away from the wall.

"I hope you can keep that vibrating up all night without falling through the floor," Hal fought back for dominance, kicking the bedroom door shut before hooking one leg behind Barry's knee and shoving him onto the bed.

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Barry was warm, and happy, and stuck in that dreamy place between being awake and unconsciousness. He pressed his nose into something soft and feathery, smelling the light remnants of sweat on bare skin. His shoulder shifted up and down slowly on its own, and it took Barry a few seconds to realize that _he_ wasn't moving it – whatever he was lying on was. Whatever. It was comfortable.

"What the heck?!"

Barry jerked fully awake in alarm, sitting upright and looking around the unfamiliar room for whoever had spoken. His eyes landed on the small, redheaded boy gaping at him from the doorway and he felt his stomach coil up in dread. Beside him, Hal's long body propped itself up in delayed alertness and he just stared at one spot on the comforter groggily. Barry blinked at Hal and took in the messy brown hair and vacant chocolate eyes. He didn't seem like he even knew where he was. After another second, Hal fell back into the sheets and started snoring. Barry turned his attention back to the door after making sure they were both covered from the waist down. His face flushed bright red.

Wally had his arms thrown wide and a disapproving frown on his face, "You told me I was getting too old to sleep in a bed with you, but you let Uncle _Hal_ do it? He's twice as old as I am!"

Barry wanted to point out that Hal was a lot older than fourteen, but he was too mortified at being caught to speak. Hal, however, groaned at the sound of Wally's angry voice and hurled a pillow at the child. It hit Wally right in the face and knocked the angry look off. Barry balked, but Hal sat upright and glared right at Wally, "I have been working _very_ hard _all_ night so that I can be your new mommy! And this is the thanks I get? I'm tired!"

Barry's mouth hung open in surprise and he looked at Hal like his face had come off.

Wally had a different reaction entirely. His green eyes went wide and started sparkling with dumbstruck happiness like Hal had just said he was Santa Claus. His face quickly broke into an ecstatic smile and he sprinted out of the room, slamming the door closed behind him. Barry could hear a small thud as Wally undoubtedly braced it shut with his whole body, "You can't come out until you're married! Okay?!"

Barry sighed in exasperation and Hal merely slung an arm around his waist, dragging him back down so he could snuggle against Barry's chest. Barry just lay there in extreme confusion as Hal fell back asleep, wondering how the hell he was going to explain this to a seven-year-old.


	13. Chapter 13

"We're gonna be a little late picking up Wally today," Barry said into his communicator as he sped across Illinois. It was raining, but the thick drops phased right through his body.

"What?" Oliver asked from the other end. "You sound like someone fast forwarded whatever you just said."

"I'm going to be late picking up Wally," Barry repeated much slower, making sure his mouth wasn't going as fast as his feet were. "Parasite broke out of Stryker's Island again and Superman needs some help."

"Shouldn't _non_ -powered heroes go to help with that?" Oliver asked haltingly as if he thought it was a bad idea. "Parasite likes to absorb super abilities. Didn't we learn out lesson with Amazo? It took _eight_ of us four hours to bring him down, and every time someone showed up to help, it made everything worse because he'd copy their powers."

"I don't think Parasite's that strong," Barry crossed into Indiana. "In any case, he's already got Superman's powers, so it can't get much worse."

"If you say so."

Barry grit his teeth and swallowed back the insult he was ready to shoot back. He had to remind himself that Oliver was a good person and one of Hal's closest friends, no matter how annoying he was sometimes. "Thanks, GA. I'll call you when it's over."

He flicked off the channel before Oliver could answer and tried not to smile as he ran. Ohio and West Virginia went by in seconds.

After the first successful playdate, Barry and Oliver had tried to get Roy and Wally together at least once a week. They'd gotten off to a rock start, but soon Wally was asking for Roy to come over, and Roy kept bargaining to have Wally stay longer each time. It had been nearly four months of this and it didn't look like they were getting tired of each other. Though, they fought _a lot_.

Wally came home once with a huge bruise on his jaw, and Barry had been livid until he spoke to Oliver and found out that Roy had _two_ black eyes. That was also the same day he discovered that Hal taught Wally how to throw a punch and how to give as good as he got against people bigger than him.

Hal would be coming in from Italy, so Barry wasn't likely to run into him until he reached Metropolis. He'd been paying back a favor to Giovanni. Barry wasn't too clear on the specifics – the only thing Hal would tell him was that it had something to do with Zatara's daughter. All he knew was that Hal promised to bring home Italian for dinner, although that looked like it wasn't going to happen now. He sighed, internally cursing Parasite.

Barry skirted through Maryland and was in Delaware in no time. The smoke rising off Metropolis was visible even before he sped across the Hobsneck Bridge. Sirens were going off on Stryker's Island and police patrol boats were rushing across Hob's Bay to provide assistance controlling the prison break. Barry would have darted over the water to help, but the ultimate maximum security prison was home to regular and metahumans felons. The inmates powerful enough to cross the bay without watercraft would already be at the shore by now tearing up the city. Those were the fugitives Barry needed to round up. The prison guards could handle the inmates that couldn't get off the island.

He didn't have an exact location for Clark, so he followed the sounds of screams all the way to the beach. Immediately, the devastation hit him hard. The short stretch of boardwalk was deserted except for a handful of emergency personnel and the emaciated, nearly skeletal first victims of Parasite. Some were very clearly dead – no more than waxy skin stretched tight over bones. Others hadn't been drained as thoroughly and had been left lying amongst the abandoned umbrellas and beach blankets with bystanders trying to flag down some help.

Barry couldn't pass them by. He swept the beach for survivors and ran every single one of them to Metropolis General Hospital in a matter of seconds. He dropped them off in the ER and returned to the shore and followed the trail of drained bodies into the heart of New Troy. He counted thirty innocent bystanders that Parasite had grabbed to feed off of as he went, and only five were still breathing.

All his complaints from earlier vanished from his mind and Barry pushed himself faster. Once the survivors were clear, he went looking for Parasite. There was a thunderous crash two blocks over and Barry saw the top floors of windows in the GBS building shatter.

He sprinted towards the commotion, arriving to find a car-sized hole punched into the side of the communications building right under the logo. Great chunks of concrete fell to the sidewalk like comets dropping onto pedestrians. Barry scooped up civilians two at a time and evacuated everyone within two square blocks. Now they just had to keep Parasite _here_ , and there shouldn't be any more casualties. He came to a stop in the middle of a deserted intersection and looked around for the villain. The area was eerily quiet for the middle of the day, much less the scene of a supervillain disaster.

"Superman, where are-?" Barry touched the mic in his earpiece and dove out of the way in a roll when something big came whistling down to earth right at him an instant later. He was safely twenty feet away when the mass of sinuous purple muscle and teeth slammed into the asphalt where he'd been standing. The ground buckled in a massive crater, rippling outwards with the sheer force of impact.

Barry took a deep breath and dropped into a runner's crouch. Found him… He glanced at the hole punched into GBs apprehensively. If Parasite was up and fighting still, it meant _Clark_ had been the one thrown through the building.

'Great…' he thought bitterly.

Parasite straightened up to his full height, smiling broadly with rows of impossibly sharp teeth. A grown man with limbs so thin they resembled sticks dangled limply from one of his hands. Parasite tossed him aside like a rag doll, and Barry sped over to catch the body before it hit the street. Cold anger seeped into him as he carefully laid the man out on the sidewalk a good distance away.

Parasite had gotten a _lot_ bigger since Barry last saw him. Now, his meaty skin glowed bright purple, and the circular lines that looped around his neck and limbs were distorted by bulging veins and thick, corded muscle. He was easily three times the size of Clark, and looked more monster than man anymore.

He lunged at Barry quick as a snake with both hands spread wide to snag him, but Barry ducked under his arm and put another ten feet between them. As long as he didn't let Parasite touch him, he was good.

Unfortunately, Barry was a close quarters type of fighter, so he needed to get creative.

Parasite twisted around, his eyes glowing red with stolen heat vision. Barry dashed over to an abandoned SUV and snapped off both rear view mirrors. When Parasite shot a blast of intense heat at him, Barry held up the mirrors and angled them to reflect the lasers back at the villain. They hit Parasite before he realized what was happening and threw him clear across the street.

He landed in a heap, slamming one fist into the sidewalk to get back up. A traffic light bar jerked to the side and sagged low over the road. Parasite wrenched it out of its base with one hand and swung it like a sword down on Barry's head.

He could have vibrated his molecules and let it pass right through, but it wasn't necessary. As fast as Superman was, Barry was faster. He easily ducked under the pole and held up the mirrors again to deflect more lasers. This time, they scored a hit right in Parasite's face. He reeled back, blindly swinging the traffic light around.

Barry just stepped back from the flurry, thinking he was out of range. Then, one of the cords tethering the light snapped, and it was flung right at Barry. He moved to dodge away, but Clark suddenly appeared and snatched it out of the air. He sucked in a deep breath, and Barry anticipated his attack and started rotating his arms at Parasite. Together, he and Clark blew him off his feet and sent him crashing into another building.

Barry let his arms fall to his sides, still clutching the mirrors, "How'd he get your powers?"

Clark rolled his shoulders with a wince and wiped blood from his nose. He wasn't easily hurt, so the sight was a bit unnerving. "He tricked me – made me think he as someone else when I first got to Stryker's. I guess he'd drained a metahuman that could shape shift on his way out. I didn't realize it was Parasite until I'd already hit him."

"No worries," Barry slapped him on the back bracingly when his expression turned frustrated at the slip-up. "We can handle it. Did he steal any other powers?"

"Just the shapeshifting one, but that's already fading," Clark began. He trailed off when he spotted the two ripped off mirrors in Barry's hands. "Um….what are you doing with those?"

"Deflecting laser vision," Barry answered like it was obvious. He held them up and pretended to block with them. Clark gave him a weird look. "Don't act like it wasn't a good idea."

He held up his hands and smiled, "Alright. Thanks for coming to help. We need this guy taken down fast."

Clark didn't need to say how dangerous it was to have a guy with his powers rampaging around unchecked.

"GL and Zatara are on the way," Barry told him, looking to the east. If they weren't in the states by now, then they'd only be a few minutes out. "So are-"

As he was speaking, a streak of metallic gold and dark plum shot by above their heads. Barry could clearly make out the lines of a human body and the stylized 'MF' logo on his chest before he disappeared after Parasite. He immediately raced after him with dread filling his stomach. Major Force was the _last_ person who should be here right now. Parasite was like a battery, and all of Major Force's attacks were energy based. It was the worst possible combination. Barry keyed the mic on his communicator, "Major, stop! Do _not_ engage Parasite!"

"Someone's gotta do it, Red," his gruff voice growled over the link. "We can't _all_ stand around shootin the breeze all day."

Barry opted to skirt around the damaged buildings instead of going through them. He caught up with Major Force just in time to see him thrust one fist out and release an energy blast at Parasite. Barry knew full well the kind of wallop Force could pack, but he couldn't allow Parasite to get any stronger than he already was. So, he raced the blast and put himself in its path, tensing his muscles and gritting his teeth in preparation.

The energy beam hit him between his shoulder and collar bone, and Barry felt both fracture on impact. He was twisted around and landed awkwardly on his hip not five feet away from Parasite. The bright purple villain raised two fists like a gorilla and swung them down at his face at the same time that a large, winged shadow was cast across the ground below them.

Hawkman hurtled down into Parasite in a dive, leading with his mace. Barry saw him crack the Nth metal weapon across Parasite's skull and knock him off his feet.

"Get in the way again and you might end up with a lot worse than that," Force loomed over Barry, staring down with unapologetic eyes. He looked to where Hawkman was beating Parasite back relentlessly and took aim once more. Barry could hardly believe his eyes. Major Force had always been difficult to work with – he didn't like to follow orders – but this was something else entirely!

Barry tried to stay still while his accelerated healing took care of the fractures, and Clark showed up to grab Force's arm. He wrenched it down furiously, eyes glowing with pinpricks of red, "What's wrong with you? Flash told you to stand down!"

Major Force grunted at the interruption, and then he gave Barry a quick once over. He shrugged, cocking one eyebrow and smirking derisively, "I don't see any rank on him. And he doesn't look very military to me."

"He has _years_ more experience than you do," Clark shot back through gritted teeth. "And if you'd stopped to listen, you'd know that firing _any_ kind of energy at Parasite will just charge him up. He drains people to survive, and you'd be like feeding him a whole buffet."

In the distance, Barry saw Hal and Giovanni rapidly approaching shrouded in a ring construct. Good. They were going to need backup if one of them had to babysit Major Force throughout the fight.

"Oh, I know," Force said evenly, stealing Barry's attention back. Clark looked startled by his declaration too. "Sounds like a blast. I didn't want to miss all the fun."

"What…?" Clark frowned in confusion. Major Force slammed one golden fist into his chest and released a concussive blast of quantum energy. It threw Clark well over Barry's head and sent him flying into the corner of the Daily Planet. Force leveled a shot at Barry next, and he barely had time to move out of the way. What the hell was this? Mutiny? Betrayal? Was Force being mind controlled or something? It didn't really seem like someone else was at the controls though.

Barry tensed for a fight, but Major Force didn't continue the attack. He flew up above them and made a beeline for Parasite. Hawkman didn't see it coming, but Parasite seemed ready and waiting for the blinding surge of quantum energy that Major Force discharged at him.

Katar was right beside Parasite when it hit and he received a heavy portion of the attack. One of his wings bent alarmingly upon impact and he dropped out of the sky. Barry zipped over to catch him, careful not to jostle the wing too badly.

Above them, Parasite was growing impossibly huge with the sudden inflow of raw power. His muscles bulged and contorted as the skin glowed so brightly that Barry had to shield his eyes and look away. That's when he saw Deathstroke's orange and black mask at the edge of the police perimeter.

He was standing with both armored hands resting on his sword, unconscious officers lying at his feet. Barry watched him leisurely swing the sword up to rest against his shoulder and vault over one of the barricades. He calmly walked towards the fight like he wasn't worried at all about the handful of League members gathered.

"It's a set up…" Barry breathed quietly. He glanced up where Major Force was still feeding Parasite a continuous stream of energy, inflating him larger and larger. A quick look at the surrounding area revealed creepy little, blue-skinned Klarion perched high up on the ledge of the Lexcorp skyscraper. His gleeful young face leered down at them with pointed teeth, and Barry could see a tiny speck of orange on his shoulder that had to be his cat familiar. Barry pulled Katar to his feet and pointed out both Deathstroke and Klarion. "We're about to be ambushed and Major Force switched sides on us. Can you fly?"

Hawkman tried extending his wing and Barry could see how it shuddered and jerked. It didn't look good, but Katar shook off the pain and gripped his mace, "Don't need to. I'll handle Deathstroke if you want the witch boy."

"Be careful," Barry warned him. His instincts were screaming at him that something was very wrong. There were too many unconnected villains here. He alerted the others over the communicator and told them that he and Hawkman were covering the newcomers. Zatara's backwards spells started echoing through the air, and Barry heard Parasite crash to the ground like an earthquake. It looked like Clark, Hal, and Zatara were handling everything on their end. "There are probably more here than we can see."

He ran up the side of the Lexcorp tower in a tight spiral so Klarion couldn't see him coming. Barry turned onto the roof and headed straight for Klarion's back, pulling short at the last second when he saw the translucent shield surrounding him.

Klarion spotted him and his features twisted into an unmistakable pout, "I don't want to fight _you_. Go away and send that magician over. He looks like fun."

Barry glanced down where Zatara and Hal were working on containing the rapidly growing out of control Parasite. Clark was dealing with Major Force, who looked to have gone full turncoat. Barry shrugged, "Sorry. No refunds or exchanges after thirty seconds. You're stuck with me, unless you want to duck out and run away."

Klarion didn't seem to get the joke. He just made a confused face and shared a look with the cat curled up in his arms, "What can _you_ do? You're just a runner."

True, Barry was no magician. He had very little experience with the mystic arts, but he possessed an extremely handy knack for thinking his way around any disadvantage. Barry started vibrating his molecules and he stepped right through Klarion's shield. The lord of chaos dropped into a defensive crouch and engulfed his entire body in blood red flames. His familiar let out a shrill yowl and grew into a tiger sized feline with teeth as long as Barry's head.

It leapt at him amidst a flurry of eldritch blasts thrown by Klarion, but Barry dodged them all with ease. He ran right up to the witch boy and used his momentum to slam an elbow into his face. Klarion cried out in pain and was nearly thrown off the roof from the force. His familiar growled in fury, leaping at Barry's exposed back. He merely flash-stepped out of the way and watched the large cat nudge Klarion to get him up.

He felt a little bad about fighting with the lord of chaos, because Klarion had the appearance of a kid even though he was technically ageless. In all likelihood, Klarion was probably _much_ older than Barry's grandfather, but he still felt weird about attacking him.

Klarion levitated back onto his feet and leveled a dark glare at Barry. His pointed face lengthened and his sharp features contorted into a demonic visage, "No fair…"

He also spoke like a child. Barry held out his hands, "You can still go home."

Klarion sneered at the offer and his fists flared brighter, " _You'd_ like that."

"Well, yeah," Barry sighed, sneaking another look at his teammates. Katar was engaged in a deadly dance with Deathstroke, weapons flashing and clanging with powerful strikes. He was holding both his mace and axe now, but seemed to be holding his own even with the damaged wing. "What are you even doing here?"

Klarion's beady eyes darkened with glee and his pointed teeth were bared in a savage smile, "Experimenting."

"What?" Barry frowned, but the witch boy pointed long fingernails at him and fired bolts of scarlet lightning across the air. They chased after him but the magic wasn't nearly fast enough to catch up with him. Barry vibrated his arm to generate a crackling ball of static electricity and flung it at the witch boy's feet. Klarion yelped as the current jolted up his legs and paralyzed him.

The red flames surged outwards, throwing Barry onto his back. He rolled backwards onto his feet and was nearly down again when the roof pitched sideways. Klarion was transfiguring it into an impassable landscape of spiked pillars and tilting stairs. Barry grabbed one off the spikes to keep his balance and awkwardly braced his feet on two different footholds.

Klarion just kept himself floating above the roof, smiling darkly while his familiar deftly navigated the maze of shapes below. Barry felt that same worry from before. What did he mean by experimenting? And on who? What was he testing out?

"Something's really wrong here, guys," he said quietly over the communicator, trying not to let Klarion over hear. "Keep your eyes out for _anything_."

"I'll tell you what's wrong!" Hal growled angrily over the headset. Barry could hear the sounds of battle in the background – grunts of pain, concrete crumbling apart, and the otherworldly pitch of a power ring discharging. "Major Force suddenly deciding he likes being a supervillain shit for brains motherfu-"

"A certain anonymous someone made me a better offer than good old Uncle Sam," Force rumbled over the communicator with a laugh. Barry was startled until he remembered that Force still had a JLA commlink.

There was another loud boom from the earpiece, and Hal snarled, "Someone get him the hell off our frequency! And drop a goddamn nuke on him while you're at it!"

Barry winced at the fury in Hal's voice. He'd never been overly fond of Major Force, but he's certainly considered him a teammate. They hadn't been betrayed like this before, and it was unnerving at best.

"Get him, Teekl," Klarion hissed maliciously. The huge cat yowled in answer and picked its way across the transfigured rooftop without any difficulty.

Barry looked all around, trying to come up with a plan of attack. The roof immediately under him sloped down into a steep incline and then up into the air like the loop on a rollercoaster. He could use it like a ramp if he ran fast enough – and he always did.

Teekl leapt at him where he was hanging, long claws out and a growl ripping through his ears. Barry released his hand hold and sped down the ramp, going right up the other side with the momentum and flipping back upright in midair. Teekl's claws shredded the pillar he'd been clinging to, and Barry slammed his foot into the cat's spine. It screamed, scrambling to get him off, and from the other side of the roof, Klarion yelled in anger.

Barry looked up in time to see the witch boy's body flicker oddly, fading in and out for a moment like he might disappear. His eyes shot back to the giant cat still howling in pain, and he connected the dots. If his familiar was hurt, Klarion couldn't stay on this plane of existence. He'd have to run away to recover before coming back.

Barry immediately worked up another charge around his palm and pressed it into Teekl's shoulder blades. This time, the cat bucked and threw Barry off into one of the sharper outcroppings. He braced himself for the impact and grit his teeth when it sliced open his thigh. When Barry got back up, Klarion had flown over to his shrunken familiar and as cradling the cat in his arms as his form wavered.

"Meanie!" Klarion yelled at him petulantly in his scratchy voice. He raised one arm in the air and opened a swirling red portal above his head. It descended over them both and then they were gone.

Barry took a moment to collect himself, feeling the burn as his body started healing the tear in his leg. He wanted to make sure that Klarion really wasn't about to come back out of nowhere, but he didn't have the time. A sudden boom made him speed to the edge of the roof, and he saw a trail of green light rocketing into a building. Hal crashed through one of the windows and tumbled out of sight. Zatara was out cold on the concrete, his spells slowly beginning to fade, and Clark was being held down by both Parasite and Major Force in a full body lock, his face pressed into the asphalt. He was struggling to get out of the hold, but couldn't even budge an inch, and Hawkman had his hands too full with Deathstroke to help.

Barry couldn't even fathom the amount of strength it had to take to overpower Superman. The ground beneath them had been pounded into a crater that spanned the entire intersection and was destabilizing one corner of a nearby convenience store. It looked like Parasite could very easily shove Clark through the Earth's crust, but he didn't. It didn't even look like he was trying to hurt Clark. They were just holding him still…and waiting.

Klarion's words echoed in Barry's head at the same time that he heard the very muted sound of a gun firing in the distance.

'Experimenting.'

It took him half a second to spot Deadshot lying with a rifle on a tripod twelve rooftops away, and then another second to see the bullet heading right for Clark's forehead. Regular bullets couldn't penetrate Clark's skin – that was pretty much on the same level of common knowledge as gravity. A master assassin like Deadshot would _definitely_ know that. So, it meant that wasn't a regular bullet, and Barry got the sickening feeling that it was the experiment.

Barry sprinted down the side of Lexcorp tower at top speed, windows shattering in his wake. He seamlessly transitioned to the ground and raced the speeding bullet to Superman. As each step brought him closer, he could more easily make out the luminescent green tint of the bullet. That's when he knew it was made of Kryptonite. The burning question of _how_ it had been manufactured would have to wait.

Barry intercepted the bullet and plucked it out the air less than five feet from Clark. Even just this proximity to the alien rock was already beginning to affect his friend. He turned to throw the bullet as far away as he could when he felt something small and hot press against his back.

Shock lanced through him as he realized it was a second bullet. Barry hadn't heard it being fired. His body instantly vibrated to let the bullet pass through him, and Barry as thankful for his lightning fast reaction time. He felt the bullet passing through each layer of muscle all the way to his spine, and then it started shuddering rapidly instead of harmlessly slipping through his molecules. Barry went completely rigid, his vibrations suddenly and violently thrown off. The bullet lodged in his spine began vibrating at an entirely different frequency of its own, sending Barry's whole body into uncontrollable spasms. He was dimly aware of the street rushing up to slam into him, then his eyes rolled back and he knew nothing but the splintering agony radiating out from the bullet.

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Hal used a ring construct to flip the overturned desk off of him. It crashed into the office water cooler and sent it gushing all over the floor. He grit his teeth and picked himself up, almost slipping on the mess of loose papers under his feet and cursing loudly. Major Force had thrown him right into a building like he was a rag doll. Hal rolled his shoulders, thankful that his ring's force field had absorbed most of the impact, and rocketed back out through the busted window. He couldn't be taken out so easily and he intended to make sure Major Force knew that implicitly.

He had a heavy green mallet constructed and pulled back at the ready when he made it back to the street. Parasite and Major Force still had Clark eating concrete in the middle of the intersection. Giovanni was getting back to his feet unsteadily, shaking his head to wake himself up and already getting another spell ready. Hal flew right over him and swung the mallet down onto Parasite's grotesque, oversized bulk. The mutated villain lurched to the side from the hit, momentarily freeing one of Clark's arms.

Clark didn't waste any time slamming his elbow into Major Force's face and throwing him over his shoulder onto the crumbling asphalt. He went after Force when the traitor tried to retreat a few steps, but Hal hardly noticed. The second he knocked Parasite aside, Hal spotted Barry lying on the ground a few feet away, convulsing so fast that he was only a blur of red.

His heart constricted painfully in his chest, and Hal immediately flew to Barry's side, dropping to one knee, "Flash!"

Barry couldn't answer. He was trapped in a violent seizure, head thrown back, spine arched, and hands clenched into fists. Hal's hands fluttered over him frantically, trying to help without restraining him. The blinding lightning crackling over Barry's entire body kept Hal from actually touching him. He twisted around to look at Clark in panic, "What happened to him?!"

Clark had Major Force's neck in one hand, and he slammed him headfirst into the ground until Force's body went limp, "He was shot!"

Shot? Hal helplessly watched Barry writhing in agony. His eyes were glowing so brightly that they were shining through the lids. He'd never seen them do that before. "With _what_?"

Major Force was unconscious now, and Clark abandoned him to crouch on the other side of Barry. Concern was etched into every line of his face, "I don't know. I saw Deadshot fire two bullets at me at the same time. One was Kryptonite and clearly meant for me – Barry caught it and threw it away, but he didn't know there were two. I saw him vibrating to let the second one pass through him, but it didn't."

"Deadshot?" Hal tore his eyes off of Barry and looked across the street. Some of the buildings were a little smashed up, but they looked normal. Quiet. Then, something moved on the rooftops a few blocks over and Hal could make out a silver mask with a glowing red scope attached over one of the eyes, and the long barrel of a sniper rifle.

Deadshot slowly stood up and hefted the tall rifle onto his shoulder, resting one hand on his hip – like it was a _job well done_.

Hal's ring exploded with emerald light, making Clark flinch back in alarm. As he stood up, Hal kept Deadshot locked in his gaze like a predator. He'd never wanted to kill anyone this badly before in his entire life. Fury poisoned his thoughts, and before he knew it he was flying like an arrow above the rooftops heading straight for Deadshot.

The expert marksman tossed his rifle aside and drew two smaller pistols, firing at Hal as he tried to back towards the roof exit. Hal threw a blast of light out in front of himself as a shield, too furious to be able to shape it into anything concrete. The bullets ricocheted off the shield without doing any damage, and Hal didn't pay them any attention. He blindly carpeted the rooftop with blasts of energy, not even caring that the building was shaking apart from the onslaught. Deadshot made for cover behind the exit where he had a missile launcher hidden. Hal didn't have time to dodge when the explosive shell came soaring into his shield. Normally, a hit like that would've shattered his construct, but Hal didn't even feel it in his wrist when the missile detonated.

He flew clear of the smoke and demolished the exit Deadshot was behind. There was no way in hell he was going to let _anyone_ get away with hurting _his_ partner. Deadshot roughly heaved a block of cement off of himself and tried to limp his way to the edge of the roof. Hal decided to help him out. He knocked the assassin over the side with a beam of energy and then shot him again in the back, slamming him face first into the sidewalk seven stories below.

Bones broke with sharp crunches, and the scope over Deadshot's right eye shattered. Hal landed beside him and turned the limp body over, fisting the collar of his suit in one hand. He stared into the exposed blue eye looking back weakly from beneath bent metal and shards of glass, and formed a massive shapeless construct around his own fist. Hal pulled the construct back and slammed it into Deadshot's face, snapping his head back violently.

He pulled back for another punch when steel fingers wrapped around his arm. Clark was suddenly beside him, jerking his rage-fueled attack to a halt, " _Stop!"_

Hal tried to fight him off so he could keep hitting Deadshot, but Clark didn't even let him have an inch.

"You're going to kill him," Clark's grip was beginning to hurt now, but Hal still struggled against it. "Calm down. Deadshot is down – you stopped him from escaping – but Flash still needs help. We can deal with Deadshot later."

Hal paused. If Clark was here, then who was with Barry? Hal stopped fighting back and looked over at the blur of red and lightning convulsing on the street. A black-clad figure was kneeling beside him with both arms outstretched as he cast spells. The hulking purple monster that Parasite had become was noticeably absent, and Major Force was still out cold several meters away.

"Fine," Hal murmured, backing away from Deadshot's body and lifting into the air once Clark released him. He raced back to Barry's side and reached out to try and touch him again, "Where's Parasite?"

"I sent him to a friend who might be able to contain him until the powers he absorbed run out," Giovanni answered calmly in between casting backwards spells that didn't seem to have any effect on Barry's condition. His dark eyebrows were pulled together in frustrated concentration. "Doctor Fate. I don't know if you've heard of him or not."

He hadn't. Hal clenched his fists to keep from trembling as his rage bled away into paralyzing terror. Every second that Barry was trapped in his fit was like a knife turning in his chest. "What's happening to him? Why hasn't he come out of it yet?"

Clark's eyes glowed red as he used his x-ray vision to scan Barry's body, "He's experiencing seizures at lightspeed. The bullet is vibrating at its own frequency and disrupting Flash's powers. It's trapping him with the seizures. They aren't gonna stop until we remove it."

"Where the hell is the bullet?!"

This time, Clark hesitated as his eyes returned to their normal clear blue. His voice was quiet with dread, "His spine…"

"How do we get it out?" Hal demanded. He couldn't stand to watch Barry's thrashing and jerking, but he couldn't look away. He knew the basics about the dangers of spinal injuries and his brain just kept coming up with one extreme scenario after another.

"Not with magic," Giovanni said with a defeated sigh. "This needs surgery. Quickly."

"He _can't_ go to a normal hospital," Hal told them. He and Barry had been over that time and time again in the past. No surgeon in the world was faster than his healing factor, but they'd certainly notice something odd about how fast his resting heartbeat and brain activity were. Barry would never be able to be examined out of costume, and no doctor could be trusted to not peek under the mask if he went in as Flash. "Can't you just fry it with heat vision?"

"I don't want to risk hurting him permanently," Clark shook his head. "The bullet's literally lodged in his spine. I might-"

"Batman says to take him to STAR Labs," Hawkman landed behind them all unsteadily. It looked like he was able to fly somewhat now. "I radioed him over one of his secure frequencies after ours was compromised. He already notified the facility in New Troy and personally vouched for the doctors there."

Hal didn't want to trust _anyone_ with Barry's identity, but they didn't have much choice. Plus, Bruce had given his approval. That was probably the best they were going to get.

"Did Deathstroke take off too?" Clark scanned Katar over, taking in the superficial wounds and sweat-covered skin.

Katar nodded grimly, "Right after Flash was shot. Anyone else getting the feeling that this whole thing was just a way to lure him and Superman out into the open?"

"He was saying something over the comm earlier about this being a set up, but I had my hands too full to pay much attention," Giovanni admitted with regret.

"It's not important," Hal said impatiently, waving one arm to indicate Barry still seizing uncontrollably on the ground. "We need to move him to STAR Labs _now_. Superman is the fastest."

"I can't touch him," Clark shook his head, reaching one hand out to demonstrate. The lightning crackling along Barry's body lashed out like a whip, and Clark was just barely able to retract his arm fast enough. "And even if I could, restraining a person having a seizure can be deadly. It might hurt him even more."

"Then how do we get him there!?" Hal snarled, feeling the stress coming to a head. Then, his eyes fell on Giovanni and he had an idea. "Wait. Zatara, you just need to teleport him to STAR Labs."

Zatara looked down at Barry with an apologetic sigh, "I have only had success transporting _myself_ across great distances. Taking a passenger along, particularly one so heavily injured would be-"

Hal shoved a finger into his chest, "You're going to do it right now and you're going to teleport all three of us."

Zatara's eyes widened in startled surprise and he seemed to sputter for words, "I've never attempted such a thing. If I fail-"

" _Don't_ fail," Hal cocked an eyebrow at him dangerously. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was acting unreasonably, but all he could think about right now was saving Barry.

"The lightning won't even let me get close enough to include him in the casting field," Zatara gestured to how far away he was being forced to stand to stay clear of the lightning jumping off of Barry in arcs.

Hal remembered what Ollie said four months ago about constant exposure to Barry making him immune to lightning and static shocks. He hadn't given it much thought at the time, but maybe…

Without giving any sort of warning to the others, Hal reached out and laid one palm flat against Barry's chest. The second his hand made contact, all the lightning racing over Barry's body surged up Hal's arm like it was a conducting rod. He prepared himself for pain, but it never came.

"How are you doing that?" Clark cautiously stepped closer now that Hal was absorbing the stray electricity being generated.

"No idea, but it's not the first time," Hal said dismissively, turning to Giovanni with a hard expression. "Can you cast the spell now?"

"I'll not make any promises," Zatara moved right beside Hal and held out both arms, looking uncertain but determined. _"Tropelet Hsalf, Neerg Nretnal, dna flesym ot RATS Sbal!"_

The rest of the world seemed to drop away around them and suddenly Hal was kneeling in the middle of a brightly lit operating room. A dozen people in hospital scrubs and surgical masks were standing around a vacant operating table waiting for them. Three were in front of a monitor displaying Batman and Martian Manhunter's faces, fixing headsets over top of their surgical caps.

Everyone jumped back when they popped out of thin air and a few gasped and cried out in alarm. Hal kept his hand firmly on Barry's chest both protectively and to keep the lightning from going wild again. One of the doctors came forward with a chunky piece of tech the size of a cell phone. She fumbled for a second to attach it over Barry's heart and then signaled for Hal to step back, "You can let go now. This will draw the electricity while we operate."

Hal didn't want to let go, but he trusted the doctor and carefully lifted his hand free. Just as she said, the current was instantly drawn to the device which lit up like a light bulb from the power. He felt a bit more confident as four of the surgeons quickly lifted Barry onto the table and a second team got right to work cutting his costume open. They swabbed his back with some kind of dark yellow liquid, and that's when one of the nurses stepped right in Hal's line of sight to block his view. She held up her hands and started pushing Hal towards the door.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait outside," she told him firmly, her tone not allowing for any argument.

Hal didn't listen. He stood his ground and knocked her hands away, "I'm not going anywhere. That's my friend on that table. How do I know you won't-"

"Sir, do you see that pole at the head of the operating table?" she turned and pointed at a lens with a red light glowing on it suspended a few feet above the surgeons. It was beside the monitor showing Batman. "That's a camera giving a live feed to the Justice League headquarters. Batman will be watching us throughout the entire operation and I personally ensure that no one here will compromise the Flash's identity. Now, get out of the OR. This is a sterile room and you're increasing the risk of infection every second you stand there."

Hal wanted to argue and insist that he _had_ to stay, because that was _Barry_ there injured and in agony. How could anyone expect him to just leave and have to wait to know if he was going to even live or not? What if something went wrong and Hal didn't get the chance to say goodbye? Oh God…if Barry _died_ …

Zatara had to grab Hal's arms and drag him out into the hallway because he couldn't even breathe much less use his legs. The last thing he saw before the door shut in his face was Barry's red clad arm twisting and jerking in pain. He stumbled along as Zatara guided him further down the hall. He had to brace himself against the wall to even stay upright.

 _"Lantern"_ , Bruce's deep Batman voice came over his earpiece. _"Martian Manhunter and I will be giving the surgical team details about Flash's physiology so they'll be able to treat him. And if they put their hands anywhere near his mask, we've threatened to pull a five million dollar grant from the facility as extra incentive to stay honest."_

"Five million…?" Hal repeated in awe. "Where the hell is that coming from?"

 _"Queen Industries,"_ Bruce told him briskly. _"Green Arrow caught wind of what happened and offered the grant for insurance. Do you want updates on their progress?"_

Hal actually choked up a little, sinking down to his heels against the wall. Ollie… He buried his face in one hand, taking deep breaths while Zatara knelt in front of him in concern. "No. Focus on Flash. I can wait…"

Bruce didn't answer after that, and Hal was left in the quiet hallway listening to all the hustle going on in the rest of the facility's hospital ward. Giovanni didn't try to get him to talk. He just stayed by Hal's side, only stepping away twice to speak to someone on his private communicator channel.

Hal had never really been a religious or spiritual man, but he quickly found himself begging _any_ deity that was out there to let Barry be alright. It hadn't occurred to him before to worry about Barry dying. Ever since they'd first met, Hal had always known that Barry could handle himself in a fight. He wasn't used to the speedster getting hurt this badly, and it was forcing him to consider what he'd do if he suddenly had to live without him. They hadn't had enough time together.

Hal had only been living with Barry and Wally for eight months.

"Oh no…" he groaned miserably at the thought of Wally.

Giovanni turned to look at him questioningly, "What is it?"

Hal checked to make sure no one was within earshot, "Flash's son. I have to tell him what happened."

"No," Zatara kept him from getting up. "I'm a father too, and if it were me, I wouldn't want my daughter to worry needlessly. Don't tell him until we know more about Flash's condition."

"You think that's best?" Hal frowned uncertainly. He didn't want to upset Wally if he could help it, but this was his _dad_. Who was Hal to be making decisions like this for them?

"It wouldn't change anything if you did tell him. Let the child go on unaware for as long as you can," Zatara nodded sympathetically.

Hal tried to figure out what Barry would want him to do, but he was coming up blank. Giovanni sounded so sure of himself and Hal knew he was a great father, so he chose to listen, "Okay… _And_ , thank you for teleporting us here. I know it wasn't easy…or particularly safe."

"Actually," Giovanni's mustache twitched just like Ollie's did when he smiled. "It was much easier than I imagined. I should've known that I do my best work under duress."

Hal would've smiled back if he'd had the energy. He just clasped his hands together and pressed his forehead into the knuckles.

Barry was in surgery for six hours.

It was past sunset when one of the surgeons came out with a tired smile on his face. Hal shot to his feet immediately, nearly falling over when the pins and needles hit. He'd been in the same position for so long that his legs had fallen asleep.

"We successfully removed the bullet and repaired the damage to Flash's spinal cord," he had his head held high like he considered it an honor to have saved a superhero's life. "Batman wants him moved to one of the Justice League bases as soon as possible."

That would be Mt. Justice. Considering how many reporters were gathered outside STAR Labs, despite their attempts to keep Barry's condition under wraps, it was probably best to move him somewhere with better security. STAR Labs was also better off without the target of an injured hero painted on their building.

"I'll teleport him," Giovanni patted Hal on the back and headed for the OR where a nurse as waiting to lead him to Barry.

Hal let him go ahead. He could fly there in minutes from Metropolis and he didn't want to test the limits of Zatara's spell a second time – not when Barry was out of danger and Hal could stand to let him out of his sight for a few minutes. He pulled the doctor aside and tried to keep his voice from cracking as he spoke, "Is he – I know there's a lot of important stuff around your spine – can…is he going to be able to walk? Did the bullet – it didn't cr…cripple him, did it? Because he _has_ to be able to walk."

"Well, he'll be too exhausted to even sit upright for a day or so, but there's no permanent damage. He'll be running laps around the country – or planet, I don't really know what he does – in a week," the doctor reported happily.

Hal's legs nearly gave out under him. He took his first deep breaths in hours and sighed at the relief that went all the way to his bones, "So, he'll be fine?"

"My team ensured that he'll make a full recovery," he said patiently. "We've sent the bullet to our advanced tech division for analysis, and Martian Manhunter is already in possession of out detailed instructions for Flash's recovery."

"Holy crap…" Hal ran a hand through his hair and breathed out in a shaky laugh. "I kinda want to hug you right now. I mean, I _won't_ , but _thank you_."

The surgeon just laughed and held up his hands, "Just remember us if we ever need the favor returned."

"You got it, Doc," Hal slapped his arm amicably. It occurred to him that he probably shouldn't speak for the League, but it wasn't a big deal. He'd pay back the favor himself if he had to – they'd saved Barry's _life._

He headed for the roof, notifying J'onn that he was en route to Mt. Justice.

 _"Do you need to use the zeta transport? There is a new tube in Metropolis,"_ J'onn offered over the communicator.

"No thanks," Hal shrouded himself in his ring's light and lifted into the air. "I'll fly there. I really need the extra time to calm down before I get there."

J'onn seemed to understand as he didn't press the issue, _"Zatara has arrived with Flash. He will be in the new medical wing where you may stay with him."_

"I'm on my way," Hal rocketed through the cloud cover heading for Rhode Island. It was a straight shot for the most part, so he closed his eyes for half the flight and just tried to clear his mind. Barry was fine. _He was fine._ The bad guys were all beaten, and Batman was interrogating Deadshot right now. They were going to find out where that bullet came from, and Hal was going to drag the son of a bitch who made it out into space. Then he was going to spend the next month trying not to panic whenever Barry was out of his sight. Great plan.

He landed outside the hidden mountainside entrance of the cave and punched in the code with _much_ steadier fingers. Hal could do this without getting all weepy and embarrassing himself in front of all his teammates.

As soon as he hit the briefing room, he could make out the sounds of intense arguing. Captain Atom, Batman, and Wonder Woman were all gathered closely around the holographic monitor pointing at pictures of Major Force and video clips of a severely depowered Parasite being escorted into custody by Doctor Fate. Hal supposed the fallout was inevitable. Major Force may have been pushed onto their team, but they all voted to allow it – everyone except Captain Atom.

He bypassed the room entirely, unwilling to be dragged into the fight as well. The new medical wing was still under light construction, but it was functional. Bruce had insisted on the necessity of it so that every League member could get secure medical treatment without having to worry about tipping anyone off to their 'other lives'. Hal was grateful for it now. The wing was quiet, largely empty, and blessedly private. Hal let the mask fade from his eyes and he pushed open the door to Barry's room.

J'onn was the only one there monitoring the speedster's condition, and it looked like he was just finishing up. Barry was lying in the hospital bed pushed against the wall, looking crumpled and grey from exhaustion. Even from across the room, Hal could see the deep circles under his eyes and the way his expression looked trapped in pain even in sleep. Someone had removed his costume and changed him into loose fitting clothes, which irritated Hal more than it should have. The doctors had probably done it, but _still_ – Hal liked to think _he_ was the only one who got to tear Barry's clothes off.

He was at Barry's side in less than a second, reaching out to very carefully brush back his blond hair. Barry jerked suddenly in his sleep, and Hal snatched his hand back in alarm.

"It was not you," J'onn said calmly, though his face was drawn tight in concern. "He is still experiencing residual muscle spasms. I would like to restrain him so that he may rest, but that would be harmful if he experienced a violent enough convulsion."

Hal watched Barry in silence for a few moments. He counted one twitch every ten or fifteen seconds. J'onn was right; Barry wasn't going to get any kind of rest this way. Hal would just have to hope that the spasms stopped soon. He pulled a chair to the side of the bed with a ring construct and hunkered down for a long wait, taking Barry's clammy hand and knotting their fingers together, "I'm gonna stay with him if you need to leave. Just tell me what I have to do for him."

"It has already been done," J'onn gave one of the monitors a last tweak and stepped back from the bed. "The STAR Labs instructions were very thorough. All we have to do now is wait for him to wake up."

"Alright. Can you let the others know that I'll be here if they need me?" Hal's eyes roved over Barry's face and he squeezed his hand tightly. When J'onn didn't answer, Hal glanced back to see the Martian smiling at them both. "What is it?"

J'onn gestured at Barry, "He has stopped twitching."

Surprised, Hal looked back at his partner. It wasn't true exactly, but the spasms were only coming once a minute now. His eyes dropped to their entwined hands and he felt ridiculously pleased at the idea that he was the reason the twitching slowed down.

"I will try to keep the others from coming by," J'onn said cryptically, and any doubts Hal had about whether or not J'onn really knew they were together were gone. He almost wished he hadn't teased the Martian about it for so long. J'onn left without another word and shut the door behind him, leaving Hal and Barry alone in the quiet room.

Hal didn't move from his spot. He just held Barry's hand in both of his own and spent the next hour thinking and worrying. He had very little experience with this caliber of fear for another person's life. Sure, he'd worried about many of the girlfriends he'd had in the past – his job as a Green Lantern put everyone he was close to in danger if his identity was ever burned. But, those girlfriends had been socialites, CEOs, sales reps – all relatively safe jobs. If it came to a matter of life or death, they'd hide behind him or he'd tell them to run.

Barry wasn't like that. When they fought, it was side by side and back to back as a team. Barry worked in the crime lab, but he also battled dangerous metahumans on a daily basis and he had just as many enemies wanting him dead as Hal did. It had been this way for years and Hal was only _now_ starting to be bothered by it. He'd just have to learn how to deal with it, because Hal would _never_ disrespect Barry by asking him to hang up the uniform. He'd never want to. Hal loved the Flash just as much as he loved Barry. This was just one more thing that they'd have to get through, and when they did it would make them stronger.

The ring around his middle finger pulsed four times, which was Hal's programmed code for when his cell phone went off. He pulled it out of the ring's pocket dimension and turned it over to read the name on the caller ID.

Oliver Queen.

Hal cringed as he accepted the call. Oliver may have known that Barry got shot, but Hal hadn't given his friend even one update on the situation. He lifted the phone to his ear and took a deep breath, "Hey, Ollie. Sorry I haven't called you yet. Things have just been… I wanted to say thanks for what you did. You didn't have to-"

 _"Pop_?" A voice that was clearly Wally's asked somberly from the other end.

Hal straightened up like he'd been shocked. He gripped the phone tightly and frowned at the floor, "Wally? What are you doing? Where's Ollie?"

 _"I'm hiding in the kitchen with the phone,"_ Wally ignored his questions and spoke rapidly in a hushed tone. As he went on, he sounded more and more distressed. _"You and Daddy were supposed to be here hours ago, and Uncle Ollie keeps giving us movies to watch and he made us popcorn and cookies and he brought out lots of games for us to play, and – and Roy says that he only does all that stuff when something's wrong and he wants to keep us distracted, but nothing's wrong here so Roy said something must be wrong with you and Daddy. And when I asked Uncle Ollie where you were, he just messed up my hair and said you'd be here soon, but you're still not here and he's said that like ten times!"_

"Slow down," Hal rubbed between his eyes and looked Barry over to see if he looked any better. He didn't.

 _"Where are you, Pop?"_ Wally's voice sounded very small and watery. Hal could just imagine him huddled up in a cabinet, crying and clutching the phone to his ear. It honestly broke his heart to hear him so scared. _"Can you come pick me up? I wanna be with you and Daddy."_

"I'm sorry, buddy," Hal took Barry's hand again and leaned his forehead on the unconscious speedster's knuckles. "I can't come get you yet."

 _"You sound sad!"_ Wally was audibly upset now, and Hal really wished that he wasn't so smart for a kid. Hal couldn't tell if Wally's breath hitching was a sob or just a hiccup. _"Why can't you get me? I wanna talk to Daddy!"_

Hal desperately didn't want to make his panic worse, but he saw no other way so he cooked up a quick lie in his head that was as close to the truth as he could get, "Daddy can't talk right now. He was in a really bad car accident, but he's gonna be okay. Wally? Did you hear me?"

The young boy had started crying immediately after the word accident, and Hal raced to calm him down, "Listen, Wally. Daddy will be fine, I promise. He's getting better right now even. Okay? But he's still too hurt to move and he's sleeping, so I can't leave him. Do you think you'll be okay staying the night at Roy's, or do you want me to get Grandpa Jay to bring you to his house?"

 _"Can Grandpa bring me to see Daddy?"_ Wally wasn't crying as hard anymore, but Hal could tell that it wouldn't be stopping any time soon.

Hal looked around the medical wing, imagining all the superheroes gathered in the rest of the cave, and he made a face, "No, he can't. Daddy really needs his rest right now, but I promise you can see him tomorrow if he's better. Is that okay?"

 _"I guess…"_ Wally didn't seem too thrilled with that answer, but he didn't complain. _"I want to stay with Roy and Uncle Ollie then."_

"You got it, buddy," Hal exhaled in a relieved sigh. "I'm proud of you for being so good about this. Your dad will be too."

Wally was very quiet for a long time and Hal figured that he was too upset to speak, _"Can I call you again before I go to sleep?"_

"Call me as many times as you want," he smiled softly. "And don't worry; I'm taking very good care of Daddy. I promise."

 _"Okay."_ Again, Wally sounded disheartened. _"I love you, Pop."_

"I love you too," Hal said with a small laugh.

_"Can you tell Daddy that I love him?"_

"I'll do it right now," he swore. "Now, go have fun. And tell Ollie not to let you watch any scary movies."

_"He already showed us a dinosaur one where a buncha people got eaten."_

"Yeah, of course he did. Carry on then. Goodnight. I'll talk to you again in a little while."

_"Goodnight, Pop."_

Hal snapped the phone shut and stuffed it back into his ring. Raising the back of Barry's hand to his lips, Hal kissed each finger and gently ran his thumb across Barry's cheek, "Wally loves you. He's really worried, so you need to heal up fast like you usually do. And I'm a little worried too. It's not that I don't believe STAR Labs, but I'd feel a lot better if you'd just open your eyes once for me."

For a few seconds, Hal actually waited for Barry's blue eyes to crack open just a fraction, but they stayed firmly shut. He jerked once in his sleep and actually gave a soft moan of pain afterwards. It was pretty clear Barry wasn't going to get enough rest like this.

While being extremely careful not to disturb the IV in Barry's arm, Hal climbed onto the tiny bed. He sat upright behind the speedster, one leg dangling over the side, and positioned Barry so that he was leaning against Hal's chest. This really wasn't subtle at all, but Hal couldn't quite find it in himself to give a damn because Barry's whole body seemed to melt against him, and his spasms stopped completely. Hal hooked one arm around Barry's stomach and covered his right hand with his own. His reputation as a tough guy was definitely going out the window if anyone saw them like this, but it was totally worth it.

Just then, the door eased open and Clark walked in. Hal saw him freeze in place and his eyes go wide in surprise, and all he could think was _finally_. This was the kind of reaction he'd been trying to get, and – bless him – it was Superman. The universe was good.

Hal forced his expression into the best poker face he could muster, "Hi."

"Uh hi…" Clark coughed and shifted awkwardly in the doorway, looking like he was trying to take up as little space as possible. Oh, this was _gold_. Why did Barry have to be unconscious? He was missing it!

Clark continued to stare at them while desperately trying to look like he wasn't, "How's he doing?"

Hal looked down at Barry and drummed his fingers lightly against Barry's abs, "Doc said he'd be fine. I'll have to cover his city for a few days while he recovers, but it's all good."

"Oh, I can do that. Barry got hurt saving my life. The least I can do is pick up his patrol shifts," Clark rushed to offer. Hal had come to genuinely love Central City since he'd moved in with Barry and Wally, so he was hesitant to leave its protection in someone else's hands. But he'd really kill to see the Rogues' faces when Superman rolled up to stop one of their heists. Plus, it would give him more time to take care of Barry. Unconsciously, Hal started gently dragging the pads of his fingers up and down Barry's skin.

Clark's uncomfortable stance got even worse, and he shifted his weight from foot to foot, "I've seen you on the news protecting Central City a lot lately."

"Oh, I live there now. I moved in with Barry," Hal answered with his most nonchalant tone. Clark watched him very carefully, nodding slowly like the reporter in him was just _dying_ to ask about fifty questions all at once. It was hilarious, but considering everything that had gone down today, Hal opted not to draw it out any longer. He breathed out in a laugh and gestured between Barry and himself. "We're dating now."

Clark's tightly wound up shoulders dropped nearly four inches as he sagged in relief, " _Oh_. Okay. Batman said something that hinted at that, but I didn't believe him. And then I was flying over Central a few weeks ago and heard some _things_ coming from Barry's house. I didn't want to be rude and just ask you about it outright though. I guess I should've known Bruce is always right, isn't he?"

Hal changed his mind. He was _very_ glad that Barry was still unconscious. The poor man would never survive the embarrassment of knowing one of his closest friends overheard him having sex. "Let's not mention that to Barry, yeah?"

"Oh, I'd never!" Clark held up both hands, face going red. "I have since adjusted my flight path across Missouri."

"Good man…" Hal tried very hard not to be self-conscious. It wasn't even the worst thing he'd been caught doing, but they were still in desperate need for a subject change. "Do you know yet who made the bullet?"

Clark's previous embarrassment vanished and his expression turned more serious, "Lex Luthor. Bruce examined the bullet after STAR Labs was finished. He says it has Luthor's signature all over it."

Hal didn't understand, "Luthor's one of yours. Why would he have a bullet tailor made for the Flash?"

"Deadshot answered that one for us," Clark crossed his arms unhappily. "Barry was right when he kept saying that something was wrong. The whole fight this morning _was_ a set up. Parasite didn't break out of Stryker's Island; he was set free by a paid off guard and pushed into making a scene along with Major Force and Deathstroke. Deadshot was hired to test out the Kryptonite bullet and the vibrational bullet when he got an opening. Parasite and Major Force are some of the few strong enough to hold me in one place long enough for Deadshot to hit me. They knew Barry would try to catch the bullet, so Deadshot laid his trap."

"That's impossible," Hal didn't believe a word of it. "No one could know that he would even see the bullet to go after it or be in the exact right spot at the right time, or that Barry would be standing still long enough to get shot."

Clark looked really troubled now. His face darkened and he looked like he'd spent too much time brooding with Batman lately. "Our villains are upping their game. You should see the file that Deadshot was given on the Flash – behavior patterns, personality analysis, fighting style, and it's alarmingly accurate. Deadshot had tons of information that told him that Barry was the League member who looked out for his teammates the most. It was everything he needed to set him up. Bruce seemed to think that the villains have been working together regularly for a long time and they're just now starting to come out with it."

If that was true…then they were _all_ in trouble. Barry wouldn't be the only hero targeted. Hal held Barry tighter as the gravity of the situation settled down on him, "We forced their hand…"

Clark just nodded slowly, "By forming the Justice League and banding together like we did, we really didn't leave our enemies any other choice but to do the same so that they could fight _us_."

"What now?" Hal asked, because by now Bruce had definitely cooked up a plan.

"Bruce says we have to fight smarter – be unpredictable," Clark shrugged, which made Hal feel a bit better because he clearly didn't know what that meant either. "He's drawing up joint training sessions for everyone so we can spend hours pointing out each others' weaknesses."

Hal groaned, letting his head drop back against the bed, "Great. I get to have Batman watch me for screw ups and yell at me during my down time. I think I suddenly have a totally-not-fabricated Lantern mission to go on during all those days. Tell Bats I'm sorry."

"How about we wait until he actually tells us when the first one will be?" Clark smiled a little. He may not be excited about the training either, but he wouldn't miss a single one – that much had always been clear. Bruce and Clark might not be as close as Hal and Barry were, but they were just as loyal. Clark would back any course of action Bruce decided on.

And Hal guessed _he_ would as well. If this training would keep something like this from happening to Barry _ever_ again, then Hal was in.

"I'll leave you two alone," Clark backed towards the door, poking his head back in one more time before disappearing. "And, Hal, I'm happy for you. I hope you two work out."

Typical Boy Scout answer. Hal shook his head, but smiled. Oh, he intended to make sure that things worked out. Barry was the best thing that had ever happened to him – Green Lantern Corps included – and Hal refused to lose him.

A few more hours passed in silence, Hal just massaging Barry's muscles that had been put through hell and thinking idly. Then, Barry woke up. He sucked in a sudden lungful of air and lurched onto his side. Hal saw blue eyes crack open into bleary slits that looked around the room in confusion.

It took him a minute, but Barry noticed Hal sitting right behind him and pressed his face into Hal's chest. Hal smiled and moved his arm to stroke his back, "How are you feeling?"

Barry's eyes closed in exhaustion. It seemed that even keeping them open for a few seconds was too much for him. There were a few groaning sounds coming from his throat like he was trying to speak, "I don't…I'm…"

Hal laughed quietly, "You're so tired you can't even speak."

"Hurts…" Barry mumbled groggily. Hal imagined that the seizures had made his whole body feel like it had been pummeled.

"I know," he crooned softly, smoothing back blond hairs from Barry's face. "Do you remember what happened?"

Barry ground his head into Hal's shirt in a vague nodding motion.

"Well, you're gonna be completely fine. _My_ nerves are totally shot, but you'll be out of here in a day or so," Hal kissed the top of Barry's head. The speedster made a rumbling noise deep in his chest and one of his arms lifted up at an awkward angle to grasp weakly at Hal's shoulder.

"Where's…Wally…?"

Hal rolled his eyes and smiled, "You're too tired to talk, but not too tired to ask about Wally. He's fine. Ollie is watching him right now."

"How is he…?"

"Worried about you, I'm sure."

"Did you tell him what happened?" Barry was taking deeper breaths now, but his eyes were still shut like he was channeling all of his energy into speaking clearly. One of his knees bent up and dragged a leg across the bed like dead weight.

"No, I told him you were in a car accident," Hal used a ring construct to reposition Barry's leg more comfortably.

"You should have told him I was fine."

"Well, that's good and all, but you're not even going to be able to _walk_ for a whole day. Wally's extremely intelligent. He's going to know we're lying to him if we say nothing happened to you," Hal felt a bit like a parent absently humoring their extremely stubborn child.

"Was he scared?" Barry mumbled even as he was rapidly losing consciousness again. Even injured like this, he was giving no thought to himself. All he wanted to know was how Wally was doing.

Hal rubbed the knotted muscles in Barry's back soothingly, "Yes, but I assured him that you were going to be fine. If you're worried about him, then put all of your effort into getting better, because nothing will make Wally relax like seeing you 100% again."

Barry nodded again, going very still, and Hal thought he'd fallen asleep when he quietly asked, "Were _you_ scared?"

Hal took the hand loosely clutching his shirt and brought it up to his lips to kiss Barry's limp knuckles, "Terrified. You're going to completely destroy my fearless reputation."

"Fearless is stupid…" Barry said in reflex. It was his favorite response to Hal's boasting. "I'm…making you smarter…and-"

"I know, I know, I definitely need it," Hal finished for him, feeling his heart swell with affection. He buried his nose in Barry's soft hair and closed his own eyes. "I love you."

Barry heaved a great sigh and snaked his arm halfway across Hal's waist, "I love you too."


	14. Chapter 14

Hal seriously considered ditching the party completely. He could ignore how much time Barry poured into planning it, and he could ignore all his friends that had shown up to celebrate with him. All he wanted to do was take Wally and go to the park, or try his hand at skateboarding. They could have a contest to see who could jump the farthest on the swings and compete to see how many marshmallows they could stuff in their mouths at one time. Truthfully, Hal would do _anything_ to escape the fact that he was now…

He screwed his eyes shut.

His arms crossed tightly over his chest.

Hal grit his teeth in mock agony as he mentally said the heartbreaking word.

Thirty.

He gave a pathetic half-sob and collapsed over the kitchen table right beside the shopping bag full of hotdogs. Both of his arms sprawled out above his head and slapped against the wood, knocking a package of hamburger buns onto the floor.

"Jesus, Hal, it's your birthday, not the end of the world," Barry scooped up the buns and set them on the counter. He was bustling around the house with Wally trailing along behind him, trying to get set up before all the guests arrived. "Try to look just a little bit less like your wisdom teeth are coming in."

"You say that now," Hal spoke directly into the table, his voice muffled by the oven mitt beside his mouth. "But what are you going to do when I look up and you suddenly realize I'm _thirty_ with old man wrinkles and grey hair coming out of my ears?!"

"Y'know, that's real insulting, because I'm almost thirty-two," Barry stopped beside the counter and snapped a set of barbecue tongs at him.

Hal rolled his head to the side to glare at him, "Yeah, but you're _gorgeous_! You could be fifty and still be hot."

"Relax. You don't look a day over twenty-nine," Barry rolled his eyes at his antics and started moving all the grilling supplies out into their expansive backyard.

"But that's just it!" Hal popped up, waving his arms about frantically. "I'm one day over twenty-nine!"

Wally had his arms full of condiments when he walked past, a bright yellow bottle of mustard teetering over the crook of his elbow, "Actually, Pop, you're three hundred sixty- _five_ days over twenty-nine years old. Because you're thirty. And old."

Hal narrowed his eyes at the bright red shock of hair scurrying through the doorway outside, "I'm the one who taught you how to count, you little snot. Don't you turn all that math against me."

Everyone was too busy to answer him, so Hal let his head drop back onto the table in misery. He might as well get all his moping out of the way _now_ before Diana or Arthur showed up to make fun of him for acting like a child. Hmm…at least he had that going for him. Old man with the heart of a child.

The idea vaguely gave Hal the creeps, so he dismissed it.

Outside, there was a loud rush of what sounded like wind, and an angry yelp followed by loud metallic clangs and some pretty colorful cursing. Hal jumped up and ran outside in time to see the grill completely engulfed in flames and Ollie frantically beating it with a metal spatula.

"This isn't a grill, it's a damn _spaceship!_ " he jumped back and patted his 'Grill Sergeant' apron to put out the small fire that had sprung up in the middle of the ties. "Whatever happened to some coals over a rack?! I can't figure out the controls on this thing!"

Running over from across the yard, Dinah Lance nudged Ollie out of the way and slammed the lid of the grill down, effectively sealing the flames inside. She twisted the gas knob to low and dumped her glass of iced tea onto the smoking apron to put out the fire.

Dinah tossed her long blonde hair back and dusted her hands off on tight-fitting jeans and a snug blue t-shirt, "Ollie, why don't you let _me_ get the grill ready? You can help Roy with the salads."

She jerked her thumb over her shoulder where Roy was angrily shredding lettuce into a big bowl.

Hal expected Ollie to get all indignant about the implication that he couldn't handle it, but his eyes went all gooey instead and he surrendered the apron without a fight, "You got it, Pretty Bird."

He smushed his mustache against Dinah's cheek in what Hal supposed was a quick peck. A shiver went up his spine at the thought of Ollie's heard, but Dinah didn't seem to mind. She just smiled at him indulgently and gently pushed him towards Roy.

Hal couldn't really believe they were together. He'd been so sure that Black Canary wasn't even giving Ollie the time of day. She was a _bombshell_ , and very clearly out of his League, yet she found him charming for some reason. Hal had to admit that he liked her well enough. She made Ollie happy, and she was honestly something else to see in action.

Dinah winked at Hal and tossed the wadded up apron at him with one hand on her hip, "I guess this makes you grill master today."

"What?" He caught the slightly damp apron while Wally snickered at him from one of the picnic tables they'd set up. Hal flexed his fingers to see if the spilled tea had made them sticky. " _I'm_ not doing it. It's my birthday; all I'm gonna do is laze around and eat."

"Uh-uh," Dinah grinned at him in challenge. "I heard you bellyaching inside about your birthday. If you're gonna deny it, you're gonna _work_."

Hal thought about all the people coming today and how much food Barry had bought, "I changed my mind. I like being thirty."

"Nope. Too late," she patted him on the shoulder and sauntered away. "Make sure you don't dry the meat out too much."

Hal slipped the apron on and jammed his hand into an oven mitt, all the while mumbling obscenities at Dinah under his breath. He cautiously eased up the lid on the grill in case it was still imitating a volcano. The fire had died down to a manageable heat now, so he left the lid open.

"How'd you get stuck grilling?" Barry asked when he came around to set a few plates on the fold up table attached to the grill. He started ripping open packages of hotdogs and bratwurst to pile on the plate.

Hal laid a few on the grill, spacing them apart carefully, "Ollie proved to be inept."

Barry's mouth formed a small smile, "Do you want me to take over?"

"Nah, I got it," Hal flashed a bright grin back at him to emphasize that he really was fine with it. He leaned in for a kiss, and Barry happily met him halfway. Warmth sizzled through Hal's whole body, and he was pretty sure that he could be shoveling cow manure and be on cloud nine. Barry's lips made _everything_ better.

That was one of the best things about being out and open now to everyone: Hal could kiss Barry whenever and wherever he wanted. His little game trying to get people to guess had been fun, but _this_ was incomparable.

Ever since Barry had been shot, practically the whole League knew about their relationship. It was totally Hal's fault – he'd fluttered around Barry for a full week, waiting on him hand and foot (which had been severely unwanted by Barry), and squawking like a mother hen if anyone got too close to him. _Everyone_ had found it annoying, particularly Wally, who'd been warned constantly to be careful not to accidentally hurt Daddy. Hal had one hundred percent earned the fiery, green-eyed glare he'd gotten from the child. The other League members had received pretty similar treatment. At one point, Hal actually blocked Diana with a ring construct because he'd been worried she would upset Barry's IV. That hadn't gone over well…

Barry had been surprisingly patient with Hal's obsessiveness. He's seemed to understand just how scared Hal had been, and he let him be as overprotective as he wanted without complaint.

For a week.

After he was back on his feet, Barry declared that if Hal smothered him any more, he'd steal the Lantern ring and chuck it into the nearest ocean. He was less grumpy after a two hour jog around the planet. Hal guessed that was what happened when you tried to cage a speedster for any length of time.

Hal made room for the hamburger patties he as being handed, listening to the meat begin to sizzle. Barry was putting together kabobs beside him, the two of them working in comfortable silence. It really was a perfect day outside. The sky was impossibly blue and huge above them, completely clear of clouds, and the light breeze was just strong enough to stave off the heat. They could hear Wally's excited laughter as he freed Roy from salad duty and dragged him across the yard towards the Englewood National Park.

Hal was glad that Wally and Roy were friends. Roy was far too serious for his age, especially with him wanting to fight crime still. Wally was good for him – kept him grounded. Ollie was always saying how worried he got over Roy. Apparently, he didn't play or do many normal ten-year-old things. He'd taken Ollie's excuse that he needed to train more before he could become a sidekick very literally. All he did with his free time was practice archery. He'd even forged Ollie's signature and enrolled himself in a few martial arts classes in secret.

Wally had a talent for making Roy laugh and getting him to have fun.

"Hey, Ollie," Hal jerked his head at the archer to beckon him closer. Ollie sidled over with a curious look on his face. "How's Roy getting along with Dinah?"

Ollie looked thoughtful for a few moments, "Well, she doesn't stay at the mansion as much as I'd like, but Roy seems to like her. At least, he hasn't shot her with anything yet. It's hard not to like my Pretty Bird, though. Plus, she's great with kids."

Hal wanted to gag. He wasn't jealous of how close Dinah was with Ollie. He _wasn't_.

Oh. Hmm… He wondered if this was how Ollie felt about Barry sometimes. Maybe that's why they didn't always get along.

The doorbell rang inside the house, and Barry set down the skewers he was spearing sliced vegetables with, "I'll get it."

As soon as he was out of earshot, Ollie jabbed Hal in the ribs playfully, "Things still okay with your vanilla boyfriend? I think this is the longest you've ever stayed with anyone before. And, look how domesticated you're becoming."

Hal's eyebrow twitched with irritation. He damn well that by 'vanilla', Ollie meant 'boring'. Just because Barry was too smart to get into half the messes that Hal and Ollie did, it didn't mean he wasn't fun. What Hal loved about Barry was that he had a very well-hidden mischievous streak in him that lashed out and struck before you even knew what he'd done. Besides, _Hal_ was the only one allowed to call Barry boring.

He crunched his heel into Ollie's toes discreetly, "You wanna start this with me? I can bring up the fact that _your_ girlfriend fights crime in fishnets."

Ollie leapt back and nursed his foot with a pout, "I _like_ fishnets."

"Well, _I_ like vanilla," Hal turned his attention back to the grill.

Three sets of footsteps came onto the back porch, and Hal saw Ralph and Sue Dibny talking and laughing with Barry. He'd thought they were still chasing mysteries in South Africa…

Ralph spotted him and gave a great big friendly wave, "Happy birthday, Hal! It's thirty now, isn't it?"

"Sure is," Hal grumbled while Ollie stuffed a few slices of zucchini in his mouth to stifle his snickering.

"Uncle Ralph!" Wally yelled and came charging across the grass to jump on the newcomers. "Auntie Sue!"

Ralph ruffled Wally's hair, and petite little Sue tried to lift Wally up in a bear hug, "Oh my gosh! You're so big now that I can't even pick you up anymore!"

Wally beamed proudly at his hard won inches of growth, "Did you bring me back a present?"

"Wally," Barry raised an eyebrow at him to let him know he was being rude, but Ralph didn't seem to mind.

He bent his knees a little to be Wally's height and winked at him, "Now, do you think Sue and I would go off on an adventure and not bring you back a souvenir?"

Like they'd rehearsed this, Sue pulled something out from behind her back and held it out to Wally with a brilliant smile. It was a small elephant figurine that looked like it had been hand carved and painted with lively, intricate designs. Wally grasped the gift gently, turning it over to look at every inch with awed delight, "Thank you! It's so cool!"

Ralph and Sue proceeded to exchange high-fives at their accomplishment.

"Why don't you go put that in your room with your other souvenirs?" Barry eventually broke down and smiled.

"Okay!" Wally hugged Sue first and then Ralph, and disappeared inside to make room on his shelves for the newest addition.

Hal would've been jealous if 'Pop' didn't trump 'Uncle Ralph'. He ignored the fabricated beef he had with Dibny and kept working at the grill as Barry entertained their guests. They talked about Cape Town, how Central City had fared while they were gone, and how Barry was handling his close brush with death.

Thankfully, Clark arrived soon after with a ridiculously wrapped gift featuring cartoonish planets and spaceships on the wrapping paper. Hilarious. Hal didn't have room to complain. Three years ago, he'd given Clark a gift wrapped in Superman paper right in front of his girlfriend, Lois Lane. He still maintained that it wasn't even remotely his fault that Lois figured out Clark's identity later that same year.

He made the rounds, greeting everyone in his horn-rimmed glasses and slumped over posture. Hal wouldn't have believed a pair of glasses could hide _Superman_ from the world, but they let Clark turn into a completely different person.

Clark came over to Hal last and lightly slapped him on the back, "Happy birthday! Do you feel any older?"

"I feel fifty…" Hal said unhappily, nudging hotdogs to roll over with his tongs.

"Yeah, that'll go away," Clark assured him with a sympathetic nod. "It's like reaching that very last milestone where you can't pretend you're not an adult anymore."

Hal was startled by the surprisingly accurate insight into the reason behind his mood, "Are you-? You feel that way too?"

Clark nodded with a sigh, "Not so much anymore, but I did. I _almost_ bought a motorcycle a few months back, but it would've made my insurance rates go up, so I changed my mind. It was a dumb idea anyway."

It was the most absurd thing Hal had ever heard. He was standing in the middle of five superheroes all being careful not to let on that they were superheroes just so that one eight-year-old didn't find out…while discussing pre-mid life crises and insurance with Superman. When did this become his life? "Clark…why do you even _have_ insurance? It's not like you could ever have a doctor look at you anyways."

He tried to imagine a nurse trying to stick Clark with a regular needle and having it crumpling like an accordion. Hysterical laughter bubbled up in his chest, and he failed to smother it.

"It's to look normal," Clark shrugged defensively. "In case anyone ever suspected…"

Hal couldn't breathe over his laughter, acting out a scene that popped into his head, " 'Hey, Mr. President, I think I figured out who Superman is! It's that Clark Kent guy!' 'Whoa, man that's huge! We have to tell everyone – oh wait. No, look, he's got full coverage health and auto policies!'"

Even Clark couldn't resist chuckling, "The President would never say 'whoa, man."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were best friends with the President," Hal teased him sarcastically.

Clark smiled and bumped his shoulder in retaliation, "You're burning all that food."

Hal looked down at the blackened hotdog links and smoking patties, immediately pulling them all off the rack, "Well that's just…you can pick off the burnt bits. I can fix it!"

"You're a terrible griller," Clark shook his head sadly like it was a damn shame. "You should let me take over, California. I've got thirty years of Kansas grilling experience."

"Really? Your Ma let you light fires as an infant?"

"She let me pick out the coals."

"She did _not_. She put you on a haystack like a normal farm baby and let you drool all over yourself."

"How do you know what 'farm babies' do?"

"Well, I'm lookin at one right now."

Hal didn't know how it happened, but _he_ was in a headlock and his fingers were trying to tear off Clark's glasses when the Garricks and Arthur walked into the yard.

Jay and Joan just shook their heads and smiled at their rough housing while Arthur fixed them both with the most bewildered stare.

"Is this what happens to you on all your birthdays?" Arthur strolled up, making no moves to help. Hal took in his dark polo shirt and jeans, and decided that Aquaman looked ridiculous in street clothes. "Because I think _Diana_ punched you in the face last year."

"No, I deserved this," Hal gripped Clark's bicep and forearm, struggling ineffectually to free his neck.

Clark tightened the hold and laughed, "You deserved it last year too."

"Hey!" Barry suddenly yelled from across the yard, one arm still around Joan like he was in the middle of greeting her when he spotted them acting like children. "There's no strangling my boyfriend. Stop it!"

Hal froze, only dimly aware that he'd been released from the headlock, and stared at Barry in wide-eyed surprise. Everyone knew they were together by now, but this was the first time that either of them had said it out loud in front of others so offhandedly – like it was comfortable and normal now.

"Aww, look at that – he's blushing," Arthur pointed out a second later with a grin. Hal bristled, but it was true. "Is it because you're happy or embarrassed?"

Hal sputtered to deny everything, but it only sent Clark and Arthur into hysterics. "Just go away, will ya? Both of you!"

Clark walked off, still laughing and wiping tears out of the corners of his eyes. Arthur leaned over the grill to inspect Hal's work, "Those look kinda dry…"

"I swear to God…" Hal whirled on Arthur with a turning fork and chased him away.

After that, Diana showed up much to Wally and Roy's delight. Hal kinda got the impression that they both had a little crush on her – either that or they were latching onto her for lack of a mother figure.

J'onn didn't arrive much later than Diana, and he'd bio-shifted his appearance into that of a dark-skinned human with closely cropped hair. He often wore this disguise, and Clark had managed to convince him to take up a life outside of the League. Hal agreed. His whole life couldn't be monitor duty and the dark enclosure of the cave. If he did that, J'onn would end up like Batman – and nobody wanted _that_ to happen.

"Ooh, hey!" Hal grabbed Barry's arm when he passed by close enough. "When you said you invited _everyone_ …did that include Bruce?"

"Yep," Barry answered with a sly grin. Hal paled in dread. "Relax. He said he couldn't make it. He _did_ send something over with Clark though."

Relief washed over his nerves like water extinguishing flames, "Thank _God_. Can you imagine anything more awkward than Batman at a birthday party?"

"You know he's _more_ than Batman, right?"

"Oh, I got it!" Hal snapped his fingers excitedly. "Bruce Wayne at a birthday party hen you know he's really Batman and has to act like an idiot playboy! That's _way_ more awkward."

Barry gave him a sympathetic look like he was just tragic, and patted Hal's back, "This is why Bruce doesn't like you, babe."

"Yeah, I know…" Hal sighed, biting back a helpless laugh. There was no use. Nothing short of a miracle would make him and Bruce get along. Hal figured that it was enough that Bruce trusted him. They didn't have to be friends.

"Who's Bruce?" a relaxed voice that Hal knew all too well asked from the side of the house. "Sounds like a sissy name."

Hal whipped around quickly, spotting Guy Gardner sauntering around into the backyard with giant black shades on and a leather jacket. He grinned hugely and waved at them both, "Thanks for the invite. I was starting to think you'd never let me meet your family."

"Invite…?" Hal repeated dumbly in dismay. He looked at Barry and found the speedster avoiding his gaze and smiling at the ground. Dammit, Barry! He _knew_ that Hal wasn't really fond of Guy! "Uh…yeah. Thanks for coming…"

He'd worked with Guy a lot since the Baltimore native had been chosen for the GLC. Hal had to admit that he was spectacular in a fight, annoying as he was. Guy was also brash and not afraid _at all_ to tell Hal if he thought a plan was stupid or if he just flat out refused to follow orders. It was infuriating, but Hal decided it was worth it the first time Guy teamed up with him against Sinestro Corps members.

He would really just rather stay 'work friends' with Guy, but here he was.

"No problem," Guy slapped Hal on the back amicably, laughing loudly. He hooked an arm around Hal's neck and nodded at Barry with a sly sort of grin. "This your man? He doesn't really look like the type that dresses up all in red and runs around beating up lawbreakers."

"Well, that's the point, isn't it?" Barry gave him a slanted smile and shrugged.

To his credit, Guy was the most vocally approving of their relationship. With his family background, Hal had expected him to be pretty strict Irish Catholic, but he actually really liked that Barry and Hal were dating. He was surprisingly cool with a _lot_ of things, and Hal got the feeling that Guy was the black sheep of his family. He could respect that – he was a black sheep too.

"True," Guy nodded enthusiastically. He turned to survey the party guests and leaned in close to Barry, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "So…there any other masks at this barbeque, or is it just us three?"

Hal exchanged a look with Barry, and they both shook their heads innocently at the question.

"Nope."

"Can't see any…"

Guy seemed disappointed, "You two need to branch out! Make some allies, y'know. I was in Chicago last week and ran into this cool mask who called himself Blue Beetle. He didn't have any powers, but he was all gadgeted out like Batman – except fun."

Hal knew who Blue Beetle was. The League was already keeping a close eye on him, and they were probably going to try and recruit him in the next few months.

"We'll give that a try, thanks," Barry smiled with perfect acting skills. Hal knew for a fact that he had at least twelve heroes on speed dial and over half of them had babysat Wally at one point or another. Hal didn't think they could handle any _more_ hero friends.

"Alright, guy! Food is done," Hal stepped back from the grill and gestured at everyone half-heartedly. "Come and get it, and I suggest keeping your dry food remarks to yourself."

Naturally, _everyone_ complained.

Hal turned the grill off the second he was done with everything and the guests had all grabbed their food and settled in. Stupid backseat grillers had just about driven him mad. He carelessly slapped together a plate and surveyed the loose groupings of lawn chairs as he decided where to sit. Normally, he'd pick Barry, but the speedster was in deep conversation with Clark and it looked political. Wally and Roy were sitting on the grass off by themselves and playing some kind of game with stones and darts that Roy had snuck in. Ollie was completely enthralled by Dinah eating a hamburger and didn't look quite capable of speech at the moment.

But then, like saviors, there were the Garricks resting in the shade of a tall maple tree with Diana. Amazon princess aside, this was clearly the best spot. Jay and Joan were effortless to be around. There was just this easy feeling of comfort he got when he was around them – kind of like the feeling he used to get when he was a boy and his dad was still alive.

Jay looked up with a warm smile and crow's feet at the corners of his eyes when Hal took a seat opposite him, "You're too young to be depressed about your age, Hal."

"I know," Hal sighed around a mouthful of hotdog.

"Just be glad you only turned thirty," Joan chuckled brightly, tucking her white curls behind her ear. "Before you know it, that will be eighty."

They'd just celebrated Joan's eighty-first birthday a few months ago, so she and Jay knew that fact intimately. The crazy thing was though that they both looked like they were in their fifties _if that_. Hal had been convinced that Barry was lying to him when he revealed how old the retired speedster and his wife were.

"I welcome turning eighty," Diana held her head high, looking every bit like Wonder Woman even with the fake glasses she wore and the plain sundress. _She_ was going to be seventy-nine soon. "Just think of it as one more year you have cheated Death."

Yes, that as fine and all, but she was immortal. Diana would never have to worry about dentures, or needing a cane to walk, or having her hair fall out.

Jay seemed able to tell what he was thinking, judging by the knowing smile he fixed him with, "Somehow, I don't think you'll have to worry about getting old."

Hal snorted, "Why – because I'll end up offing myself doing something stupid?"

Joan gave him a mildly disapproving little frown that _almost_ hid her smile. Hal had never seen her get truly angry about anything before. Nevertheless, it gave him a small case of the church giggles and he had to fight them down.

"I meant aging, not dying young," Jay laughed quietly. "Though, you could probably be less reckless."

Hal normally would've countered the teasing remark with something witty, but he was too preoccupied with the first thing he'd said, "Why don't I have to worry about that?"

"Because there's a speedster that's sweet on you," Jay explained cryptically. When Hal kept giving him a blank stare, Jay elaborated. "Barry told me about all the strange things that have been going on with you lately – about the lightning and being immune to electricity."

This was news to Diana, who turned to look at him with sharp concern. He and Barry had agreed to keep that under wraps for now, so they hadn't told too many in the League. "Is it affecting you negatively?"

"Not so far," Hal shrugged. It wasn't a lie, but he'd discovered a few more weird things that were cropping up with no explanation. "Are you saying you know what's causing it? Ollie thinks it's because I'm around Barry so much."

"He's close. It's more the fact that Barry cares about you," Jay reached over and took his wife's hand, giving her a content smile. Hal didn't know why they could get away with showing how in love they were and have it _not_ be nauseating. The Garricks were just plain cute together. "Barry asked me for help figuring out what was going on, and the only thing that was any different was your relationship with him. It's not exact, but your symptoms sound very similar to some of the things that happen to Joanie sometimes."

"Like what?" Hal had forgotten all about eating and he was just staring with open-mouthed rapt attention.

"Looking thirty years younger than I really am for a start," Joan said with a little laugh. "It sure isn't my genes. You should see my younger sister. Poor thing looks like she's pushing a hundred!"

Diana frowned pensively at the grass, tapping one long finger against her lips, "You would think that a speedster would make you age faster, not slow it down."

"My dear, there are so many things about speedsters that we don't know," Jay looked hopelessly lost, holding both arms out wide in a shrug. "Why don't air particles rip right through us at high speeds? Our bodies should burn up from the high velocity friction and our bones should shatter from the force of touching the ground at the kind of speeds we can reach, but they don't. The laws of physics say our powers should be impossible. Decelerated aging is just another piece that doesn't fit in the puzzle."

"You think I'm not aging?" Hal looked down at his body, turning his hands over like he was checking for liver spots.

"We'll have to wait a few years to tell for sure," Jay nodded. "But I'd say it's a good bet."

"You could send a sample of your blood to Batman," Diana suggested helpfully. "He's very skilled at DNA analysis."

Hal made a face and crossed his arms stubbornly, "Negative. I don't want _any_ of my DNA in the Batcave."

"What's the Batcave, Pop?"

At the sound of Wally's innocent, curious little voice, Hal froze. He twisted around in his seat, mind reeling in panic, to see Wally standing two feet from his chair. The child's face was cocked a little to the side, but not in confusion. He was looking up at Hal with clear, sharp green eyes that waited calmly for an answer.

The Garricks and Diana were also tense in their seats as they watched him. Hal frantically wracked his brain for something to say, intending to come up with a story, but nothing came to him, "Uh…that's where Batman lives…"

Ugh. Should've made up some bullshit lie…

"Why would your DNA be in there?" Wally asked with an eerily focused intensity.

"Uhm…well, DNA is-"

"I know what DNA is," Wally interrupted him calmly, and Hal got the weird feeling that he was testing him somehow.

"You do?" Hal tried to look over Wally's shoulder to see if Barry knew what was going on. He really needed Barry's help quick, because he was about to bumble away their secret identities.

"It's deoxyribonucleic acid," Wally told him immediately, stumbling over the pronunciation a little but continuing on like a little scholar. "It's in every cell in your body and it tells the cells what to do."

Hal frowned at him suspiciously, "Where did you learn that? I'm pretty sure DNA isn't in your first grade curriculum."

"Daddy taught me," Wally pointed one arm back at Barry without taking his eyes off of Hal. "He said that he uses DNA to catch bad guys at his job."

Hmm. Well, considering Barry's profession, Hal could see how that might come up in Wally's questions one day.

"I was just teasing Hal," Diana told him sweetly, stepping in with relaxed posture and confident words. "None of us would even know _how_ to talk to Batman."

"I know one way," Jay grinned good-naturedly. "Rob a bank in Gotham at night. He'll find you."

Wally looked between the four of them with a falcon-like gaze. He clearly didn't believe them, but he dropped it and adopted a strangely neutral expression, "Okay, Aunt Diana."

Then he walked away without another word. Hal got a terrible feeling that Wally had heard too much. They weren't going to get away with this for much longer – Wally was too perceptive for his age, and living with him increased the danger of him finding out. Maybe it was finally time to sit him down and tell him about their double lives.

Jay, Joan, and Diana were quiet for a few seconds, all three looking just as nervous. Hal covered his eyes and grimaced. He _hated_ lying to Wally – hated it more than anything.

"So, Wally calls you 'Pop' now?" Jay asked in an effort to change the subject.

"Uh, yeah," Hal sighed, trying to shake off the memory of the tiny flicker of mistrust he'd seen in Wally's expression. "For a while now."

"He thinks of you as another father," Joan told him, nodding towards where Wally was running straight back to Roy like he was on a mission. He probably was, if the razor sharp look in Roy's eyes was a clue. For one mad second, Hal wondered if Roy had figured out _his_ identity as well and told Wally to go spy on him.

"I guess. He was all stressed out one day because he couldn't call Barry and me both 'Daddy'. He said it would be too confusing, so he wanted me to help him come up with something and I told him I didn't care what he called me as long as it wasn't some variation of 'Mom'. He ended up coming up with 'Pop', and I didn't really like it at first, but it's growing on me," Hal laughed kinda sheepishly. 'Pop' still made him feel old for some reason – maybe it was just how it sounded – but it was really the fact that Wally saw him as a father figure at all that choked him up. It made Hal feel like he belonged in this weird ass family more than anything else, and that made him indescribably happy.

When he came back down to Earth, he found Jay and Joan smiling at him with subtle pride while Diana just watched him with that odd look she'd seemed to reserve just for him these days. It was like grudging respect and irritation all wrapped up in one.

Hal didn't know what it meant, but he and Diana were getting along loads better than ever. He had an idea that it was because he'd become a bit more responsible due to taking care of Wally, but he hadn't thought he'd changed _that_ much.

 _"Diana is too proud to admit it, but she was impressed by all you did for Barry after his wife's murder,"_ J'onn was suddenly speaking inside Hal's head. It was a weird sensation, but Hal had never been bothered by telepathy. He wasn't exactly great with words, so it helped him get his point across better sometimes. _"She was also surprised by your relationship with him and Wally. She did not believe you capable of such good decision making."_

 _"Oh, that's nice…"_ Hal thought.

 _"She no longer feels that way,"_ J'onn amended.

Hal smirked, only half-listening to the story Jay was telling Diana about World War 2, _"I hope she still fights with me. Council meetings will be so boring without Diana shooting death at me from her eyes."_

J'onn's resulting feelings of disapproval and confusion showed that he didn't agree, _"My original intent was to warn you about the children."_

 _"Why? What're they doing?"_ Hal subtly glanced over his shoulder, finding _both_ redheads watching him and whispering to each other.

Then, J'onn told him exactly what he'd feared all day, _"Roy knows that you are Green Lantern."_

Oh, dammit.

 _"How?"_ he asked in resignation. Hal probably hadn't been as careful as he should have with his abilities. A big part of that was _who_ he was hiding his identity from. It wasn't some villain out to kill him. It was a ten and an eight year old. They weren't a danger to him, and they'd have to find out eventually. Plus, both boys were impressively tenacious.

_"He deduced it from your close friendship with Oliver and from questioning Wally about your location on dates corresponding with Green Lantern sightings and absences."_

Hal was speechless.

 _"Wally is also beginning to suspect that there is something off about you and Barry. Roy's questions about you alerted him and he has been paying_ very _close attention to your comings and goings."_ J'onn told him very calmly. When Hal replied with nothing but swirls of mental panic and imagined scenarios, he became concerned. _"Do you require any assistance with the situation? I would caution against memory alteration, but thought processes can be guided onto other focuses."_

 _"No, they're just kids,"_ Hal didn't even consider the idea. _"If they've noticed our double lives, then it's our fault for not being more careful. I'll talk to Roy tonight, and I'll make sure Barry and I don't make Wally's suspicions any worse. Thanks for the heads up."_

Someone touched Hal's shoulder from behind and startled him out of his trance, "What? Sorry – what happened?"

Barry placed the gift Clark had brought with him in Hal's lap, "I said it's time for you to open your gift. Diana and Arthur have to leave soon, and they want to see you open it."

When Hal looked up, he saw that everyone was turned in their chairs to face him. He looked around awkwardly, "Oh. Kay…"

Hal wasn't a very materialistic guy. He didn't really care much for _stuff_. In the grand scheme of his life, there were many things – many _people_ – more important, especially now. He slid his fingers under the tape holding the paper together and looked at Clark, "Did you have to?"

"What? Get you a birthday present? Of course!" Clark looked affronted at the very idea of a birthday without gifts. "Besides, it's not just from me. Bruce, Ollie, Diana, Arthur, John, and Dinah all went in on this together. It's also sort of a two-parter."

Hal glanced up at Barry as he unwrapped, flashing him a wry grin, "They wouldn't let you chip in?"

"No," Barry laughed. "They wouldn't."

He leaned in closer and whispered close to Hal's ear, "But you're getting _my_ gift later tonight."

Hal detected the thinly masked suggestion in his voice and answered with a sly leer of his own, "Yeah?"

"Mmhmm," Barry teased quietly, moving away and letting his fingers trail across the back of Hal's neck.

Clark went nine shades of red and averted his eyes while Ollie sniggered into his hamburger. Joan and Jay just smiled at him fondly like Hal was some nice girl Barry had brought home to meet them.

Hal drooled, and his skin prickled up in goose bumps. Oh _hell_ yes. Dirty gifts were the best.

He slowly peeled off the spaceship wrapping paper, noting with trepidation that everyone was scooting forward in their seats and exchanging smiles with each other. Even _Wally_ was wiggling around in place and grinning like he couldn't wait to see Hal's reaction. He ripped off the rest of the paper off of a simple cardboard box and lifted the lid.

Inside was the gaudiest pink and green fanny pack Hal had ever seen.

With a blank look on his face, he lifted the fanny pack out by its strap and held it in the air while it spun around.

Then, like water breaking through a dam that could no longer contain it, everyone burst out laughing all at once. If this was some collective joke, Hal definitely didn't get it.

"What-?" He asked.

Someone finally got enough of a handle on their laughter to speak, and they told him to open it.

Hal unzipped the fanny pack and peered inside with the caution that one would apply to defusing a bomb. He pulled out a slim booklet and flipped it open to find two neatly printed tickets tucked inside. He picked one up and read the tiny lettering, turning it over as he tried to figure out what it was for.

"We got a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean for you and Barry," Clark explained with a huge smile. "All expenses paid."

Hal looked up at everyone with a stunned expression, "Are you serious?"

They all nodded and Arthur gestured at the tickets, "You and Barry have been together almost two years and you haven't really had much time alone what with your _jobs_ and taking care of Wally. We thought it was about time you two got away from it all for a bit."

Hal went silent as he stared down at the tickets. This was…beyond nice. A whole week alone with Barry sounded fantastic. The only thing was Wally…

He immediately looked at Wally's big green eyes, about to ask why he wasn't coming along when his question was answered before he voiced it.

"Uncle Ollie asked me if I wanted to go, but I really want you and Daddy to have fun," Wally told him happily. He hooked an arm around Roy's neck. "Plus, I'll get to spend the night at Roy's house for six nights!"

Barry ruffled Wally's hair with a sarcastic snigger, "Aren't you sweet?"

"Guys…" Hal trailed off, replacing the ticket in the booklet and trying his very best not to look like he was about to start shedding manly tears – cause he _wasn't_. "Thank you. This is so awesome. I can't even…"

"You're welcome. Now, I believe it's time for cake. The boys helped bake it." Thankfully, Diana cut him off when she stood up and beckoned for Roy and Wally to follow her. They both got up, smiling importantly, and raced each other to the house. Diana followed after them leisurely and stopped just inside the doorway, looking over her shoulder with an unmistakably flirty expression. "Guy, isn't it? You wouldn't want to help us, would you? That cake might be too heavy for me to carry all by myself…"

Guy, who had been reclining in a lawn chair with a beer, jerked upright suddenly and flushed red. He stammered with eagerness when he spoke, "Holy… Yep! I will definitely carry _anything_ you want."

Hal stared open-mouthed as Guy power jogged into the house behind Diana, slamming the sliding glass door shut behind him. Why the hell was _Wonder Woman_ flirting with dopey, vulgar Guy Gardner? And why was she asking him for help carrying a friggin cake? Hal had seen her lift a tank over her head and throw it so high into the air that it took out a helicopter!

He floundered around, tossing bewildered looks at his friends who didn't seem as shocked as he was.

"That was just to get Guy, Wally, and Roy out of earshot," Barry took pity on his confusion and explained it to him.

"Right. A diversion," Hal nodded sagely, fully bullshitting like he'd known the whole time. "No, I knew that. So, what did you mean by this being a two-parter?"

"Bruce and Ollie paid for the cruise," Clark clarified, and then he waved his hand around at everyone gathered in the backyard. "And the rest of us will have Coast and Central City covered while you're both gone. You won't have to worry about a thing."

"We're also cutting off your League communicators for the cruise so no one will bother you," Dinah shrugged, fixing Hal with a slightly menacing look that said: 'You won't do any heroing on your vacation, or so help me…'

"This is way too much," Hal tried to protest. He couldn't even _imagine_ going a full week without fighting aliens, or Rogues, or teaming up with his fellow Leaguers to curb a disaster halfway across the planet.

"No it's not," Arthur rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest and sighing at the ridiculous idea. "We're taking each day in shifts, so don't you dare try to say we can't handle it. You're gonna go on your vacation and there isn't going to be any arguing with us."

"Besides, we're getting something out of it too," Ollie cracked up laughing. "There's a stipulation for this trip."

Hal narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "What is it…?"

"The stipulation is that I have to get ten pictures of you wearing the fanny pack," Barry sighed.

Hal blanched and looked at the fanny pack like it was a roach. They wanted him to actually put that on?! His eyes roved over the neon tinted colors and the bulky pouch with distaste. He tried to imagine himself wearing it, forcing his thoughts to be positive, "I could make this look sexy... What do you think?"

Barry looked skeptical, "I dunno, babe. You're gorgeous, but that'll be a challenge."

Hal grinned suddenly as an idea came to him, "What if I was wearing _only_ the fanny pack and nothing else?"

"I don't want copies of the pictures if that's what's happening," Clark said in a vaguely horrified voice.

Joan became very giggly and she covered her mouth with one hand, "Oh my…"

Hal was still cackling when Diana opened the door for Guy and the kids. Guy was struggling under the weight of a massive sheet cake and trying not to step on Wally and Roy as they blew past him recklessly with plates and plastic forks in their hands.

Unfortunately, his friends insisted on singing to him. No one was in sync, and it was probably the worst rendition of 'Happy Birthday' ever heard, but Hal loved the people singing anyways. Despite this being his thirtieth birthday, the day had turned out undeniably great.

Diana and Arthur took off first – they both had obligations in Atlantis and Themyscira to address. The others trickled out one after another as the sun began to set in the horizon, Joan and Jay lingering to help with the clean-up before calling it a night.

Once everyone was gone and Wally was tucked into bed, Barry and Hal relaxed on the couch with the windows all open to enjoy the cool night air. Hal was leaning against Barry's side, idly massaging the aching food baby he'd acquired from eating so much cake. He'd need to fight a few dozen aliens to work all those calories off.

Barry was nervously running his fingers through Hal's hair with one hand and dangling his other off the side of the couch to hide the thin present gripped tightly between his fingers. Hal could tell pretty easily – he could see it in the reflection of the TV's black screen – but he didn't say anything. If Barry was this anxious about giving whatever it was to him, then Hal was just as nervous to get it.

"So, you knew about the cruise thing?" Hal asked to stall for time.

"Yeah," Barry chuckled quietly, and Hal could feel the vibrations against his back. "Ollie told me about it last month. I've already put in both of our requests for time off from work. We're going in three months – the end of August."

Hal twisted around a little to look at him, "You talked to Carol? How did that go?"

Barry ducked his head a little sheepishly and flushed like he was embarrassed at himself, "I got a little jealous… She kept dropping hints like she wanted me to put in a good word for her, y'know like she wanted to get together with you again. So, I may have said some things."

"Like what?" Hal asked eagerly, grinning from ear to ear. Oh, _please_ , say he told Carol they were dating now.

"Like, maybe I called her emotionally frigid and maybe I let her know that I've seen that mole you have on your inner thigh," Barry smiled sheepishly.

"Heehehe," Hal was overcome with giddiness as he imagined what Carol's _face_ must've looked like. "I love you. Seriously. You don't have to worry about me leaving you for Carol. Once you go speedster, you never go back."

"Just be glad she still gave you the time off after that," Barry groaned.

"Worth it," Hal reached back and squeezed Barry's knee to console him. They went quiet for a long time, just listening to each other breathe and the crickets chirp outside. Hal was so comfortable that he was near asleep when Barry took in a deep gulp of air and cleared his throat.

"You ready for your present?" Barry asked him in a thick voice like his throat would barely let the words out.

Hal sat upright and faced his boyfriend on the couch. He swallowed hard, stomach tying itself into knots, "Uh, yeah…"

Barry lifted the plainly wrapped gift over the armrest of the couch and placed it in Hal's hands wordlessly.

It was limp and pliable like a paperback book, and Hal was so careful not to damage it as he removed the wrapping. When he was done, he frowned down at the neatly stapled packet of papers and read the words printed on the first page.

He was holding a copy of Barry Allen's will.

Hal looked up at Barry in confusion, but the speedster just waved at him to read on. He was staring at the fabric of his jeans with his knees drawn up to his chest – actively avoiding Hal's eyes.

"Barry?" Hal flipped through the pages to the one towards the middle marked with a little red flag. He folded the papers back and poured over the words, holding his breath. It was a legal document naming Hal as Wally's godfather. If anything were to happen to Barry, Hal would be given full guardianship of his son.

Hal was completely blown away. The packet slipped from his fingers and he just stared at it in numb shock, so touched that he couldn't even speak.

Barry rushed to explain, speaking almost too fast for Hal to make out, "Now, I know it says 'godfather' on that paper, and I'm _not_ saying that's all you can be, because Wally really has come to think of you as another father. And I think it's beyond great – that makes me so happy I don't even have words for it. I just want you to know that I trust you to take care of Wally in my place if he ever needs you to."

Hal's voice cracked as he spoke, running his fingers over the paper, "What brought this on?"

"Getting shot," Barry admitted with a jittery shrug. "When I woke up, I got scared because I realized that I hadn't named you Wally's guardian in my will. If I'd died that day, Wally would have gone to someone else, and there isn't anyone I want raising him but you."

Hal set the paper down and pulled Barry into his arms. His fingers threaded through Barry's hair and he gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly, "Barry, I - You really want me to be Wally's guardian?"

Barry couldn't speak, so he nodded into Hal's neck, clutching him back just as tightly.

"Thank you, I- " Hal closed his eyes. "You don't know how much this means to me. I love Wally."

"I know you do, and I don't want you to be afraid to call him your son. I want you to know that I'm okay with that," Barry sniffed into his shoulder. His whole body was actually trembling. "But you can still opt out if you don't want the responsibility. I made it so-"

"I want it," Hal pushed Barry away so they could look into each other's eyes. He squeezed the speedster's arms forcefully and made sure not to even stammer. "I want the responsibility."

"Really?" Barry exhaled with a quiet, relieved sob. Hal nodded convulsively and kissed him as hard as he could. Barry's fingers grabbed for him desperately, digging into his scalp, his back, anything he could reach. He tugged Hal on top of him, kissing back with everything he had.

Hal wondered how long Barry had agonized over giving him this. He had to have been out of his mind worried that he'd scare Hal off, which was ridiculous. A few years ago, the thought of a family terrified him. Now, he couldn't want anything more.

He wanted Wally to call him 'Pop'.

He wanted to be able to say Wally was his son.

This will was the most beautiful thing Barry could've ever given him. Hal smiled against Barry's lips, pressing a flurry of short kisses along his jaw, "I love you so much."

Barry laughed exhaustedly like he'd just been put through a harrowing trial, "I'm so glad. I was worried you'd bolt out the window for a second there."

"Didn't I tell you I'd never leave you again?" Hal whispered hotly against his neck. Barry slipped one leg over his hip.

"You did. I believe you."

Hal shivered when Barry's hands crept into the waistline of his pants. He kicked off his shoes and ran his tongue between his lips, "So, was all that teasing earlier just to throw me off the scent, or does my present have another part to it?"

Barry's blue eyes glimmered with mischief, "Oh, there's definitely another half."

"Are you gonna tell me what it is?" Hal asked in a low, rough voice. "Or do I have to beg for it?"

Never in a million years would he have believed that Barry would be giving him a look so full of lust. The speedster wrapped his other leg around Hal's waist and ground up against him leisurely, "I wouldn't be that mean. After all, I'm lifting the 'No powers in the bedroom' rule tonight."

Hal froze.

"No way," he gasped. Barry just smiled and nodded.

It had been a necessity when they first started sleeping together. As awkward as it would be if Wally walked in on them accidentally under normal circumstances, it would be ten times worse if they also had to explain that they were superheroes. Plus, the walls weren't all that thick, and powers would make a lot of noise. Wally would definitely start to recognize the sound of a Green Lantern ring going off.

This was like the _worst_ possible time – J'onn had just told him they needed to be extra careful about being found out. But he wanted this so badly! He knew he should say 'No, Wally's getting suspicious. We have to be careful.'

But he'd never had much concern for being careful.

"You're serious?" Hal couldn't keep the grin off his face. He was already starting to picture how hot Barry would look draped in glowing green constructs. A shudder of anticipation ripped down his spine. "Don't tease me about this, Bear."

"I've been practicing my vibrating all week," Barry reached up to purr against his ear.

Hal picked Barry up off the couch with one arm and carried him up the stairs in a sprint. Barry held on as Hal barreled into their bedroom, stifling his laughter sloppily. They locked the door, barricaded it with the nightstand, and then Hal started the light show.


	15. Chapter 15

Barry rolled off of Hal and collapsed beside him in a boneless heap, exhausted and spent. His legs were still tangled with Hal's, but neither minded very much. They didn't have any intentions of moving from their spot anyway.

Hal was laughing breathlessly with his eyes closed and head thrown back while he panted for air. He worked one arm underneath Barry and pulled him closer, "Where do you think _you're_ going…?"

"I was giving you a break," Barry grinned against Hal's sweat-slicked chest, fingers trailing invisible patterns along Hal's sides. Hal _despised_ being tickled, so it was a testament to how tired he was that he didn't even flinch as Barry caressed his sides.

"You trying to say I can't keep up with you?"

"Hal, I'm a speedster," Barry stretched up to kiss the underside of his chin, grinning like a fox. " _No one_ can keep up with me."

"Fastest man alive…" Hal mumbled blearily. One of his hands came up to comb lazily through Barry's hair. "Pfft. You lay down a challenge like that and I'm gonna have to answer it, Barry."

His capacity for blushing had all but vanished over the last week while they'd been on this cruise. If he'd had any doubts about whether Hal really wanted him or not, they were gone as well. The pilot had spent nearly every waking moment pulling Barry into his arms and whispering how handsome he was, how much Hal loved him. It didn't matter if they were alone in their cabin or in the middle of a crowded dining room with two hundred other people. Barry hadn't thought Hal could be so affectionate and he'd be lying if he tried to act like he didn't love it.

"You've been trying to answer it all morning," Barry teased him with a fake yawn – like he wasn't being completely and utterly satisfied. Truthfully, Hal had some pretty impressive stamina. He didn't know if it was another obscure side-effect of being close to him or not, but Barry liked to think that part was all Hal.

Predictably, Hal swallowed the bait whole. He popped up with wide, insulted eyes and gaped at Barry, "Are you trying to say I can't please my man?"

Barry shrugged with one shoulder, fighting to keep a straight face, "Don't be ashamed, Hal. Not many people can-"

Hal cut him off by clamping a hand over his mouth, "Oh, you don't know what you've done."

Barry looked up in surprise when Hal flipped them over with a sudden strength. He understood when the devilish smirk spread across Hal's face – he'd been faking being tired.

Hal's fingers curled into a tight fist, and Barry's heart started racing when the Lantern ring glowed bright green. Hard light shackles snapped around Barry's wrists and ankles, forcing them apart under the sheets. He shivered at the sudden vulnerability, but tired his best to appear bored, "So, what do you think sounds better – lunch and then a nap, or should we go swimming instead?"

"We have three hours until we reach port," Hal slowly dragged the sheets down Barry's body until they were rumpled on the floor. Chocolate colored eyes raked over him hungrily. "You're not leaving this bed until the maid comes in and kicks us out."

"Yeah, well, at some point you're gonna feed me," Barry tried to ignore the fact that he was spread-eagled and naked, giving Hal a raised eyebrow. "Or not even these constructs are gonna hold me."

Immediately, he knew it was the wrong thing to say. Hal's smile got bigger and he started swaying his hips, "I know what you're hungry for…"

"Oh, _please_ don't try to talk dirty," Barry burst out snickering. "You know I can't stand that."

"I do what I want, Barry," he shook his head impishly. "You opened the lid on my filthy brain and there's no closing it up again."

"Oh my God, you're the most colossal dork I've ever met," Barry rolled his eyes fondly, wiggling his fingers and toes while he waited for Hal to quit teasing him. "Will you just get on with it already?"

Hal seemed to deflate a little in frustration, pressing his lips into a pout, "Yeah, and _I'm_ not romantic enough."

"There is nothing romantic about light construct bondage, Hal," Barry couldn't keep a straight face as he said it. How was this his life now?

"You only say that because you can't see how gorgeous you look in green," Hal told him appreciatively. He reached out and traced the faint lines of the branching lightning scar that forked across Barry's ribs and all the way down to his right thigh. It was a burned on memento of the night he got his powers, and it had never completely gone away even with his accelerated healing. Barry had never much cared for the unique-looking scar, but Hal couldn't get enough of it.

"I imagine it's as good as _you_ look covered in lightning," Barry laughed. "Why don't you go stick your finger in that outlet over there? That really turns me on."

"Har har," Hal crawled on top of him, placing a light kiss on Barry's nose. "Joke's on you. I'm immune to shocks. I could take a bath with a toaster and be okay."

"Please don't do that," Barry sounded very much like a mom used to her son doing stupid things.

"You've failed in domesticating me," Hal grinned. "Being around you has only succeeded in enabling me to be even _more_ reckless!"

"That fact is actually physically painful to me. I didn't think it was possible for you to get worse."

"Can you stop being sarcastic and start being sexy?" Hal tried to stop laughing, resting some of his weight on top of him.

Barry just shrugged as best he could with his arms restrained, "Hey, _I'm_ the one tied up here. It's your move."

"Alright, you asked for it," Hal shrugged like Barry had made a really weird choice. He rolled off the bed secret agent style and hopped over to the foot of the bed where he disappeared for a moment. Barry craned his neck to see what he was doing, but the position he was in didn't leave much wiggle room.

Hal popped back up after another second, grinning like a crocodile and holding up the ridiculous pink and green fanny pack by one of the straps. Barry let out a startled, wheezing laugh. Hal made a show of draping the hideous bag over his shoulders and across his chest, swaying side to side like he thought he was a stripper. He slowly twirled the fanny pack like a cat tail before circling it around his waist and buckling it in back with a loud click. Hal positioned the bag so that it covered his crotch, and he crept back on top of Barry, sitting on his thighs.

Then, with a dead serious expression and solemn voice, Hal looked Barry straight in the eyes and said, "This is my utility belt."

Barry didn't think he'd laughed so hard in his whole life.

Hal just continued to go on, unaffected by the laughter. He picked at the zipper thoughtfully, "I got it from Batman. This was one of his early designs, don't you know?"

"Hal, stop!" Barry wheezed, his stomach actually hurting now from how hard he was laughing. "I can't breathe."

"I wonder what's in pocket number one…?" Hal whispered against Barry's ear, smiling coquettishly.

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Oliver was entirely sure that children fed off of each other's energy and repurposed it for themselves. One child by itself was fine, because they would eventually use up their energy and tire out after a bit. Two children together ceased to be human anymore and became a self-perpetuating machine instead. He was pretty sure Roy and Wally could've powered all of Star City by themselves this last week.

He couldn't wait for Barry and Hal to get back. Oliver respected their decision to keep Wally in the dark about their double lives, but he didn't know how they did it every day. Roy had started a counter to track how many times Oliver had nearly screwed up and accidentally given away his own secret. The number was somewhere around thirty.

He loved Wally to death, but it was time to stop being 'Uncle Ollie' and just be plain old 'Ollie' again. Unfortunately, Roy had never quite caught on to calling him 'dad'. Oliver didn't know if it was because Roy was too old when he was adopted, or because he just didn't feel that way towards him. His mother kept saying that it would take time. Roy was a guarded person naturally, so it would take effort to chip away all those defenses. The young boy hadn't really let _anyone_ in completely.

Except for Wally.

Oliver snuck down the hall and cracked open the door to Roy's bedroom just an inch. He found the two kids sitting on the bed playing a video game. Roy was leaning against the wall with his back straight and legs Indian style, attention focused on the screen. But Wally was lying upside down, head dangling off the side of the bed and legs resting across Roy's knobby knees.

Roy was a personal space type of person, so Oliver couldn't figure out how he got along so well with Wally. _Wally_ was definitely a physical person; he was always hugging, tackling, wrestling, and demanding piggyback rides. And Roy put up with it mostly. That didn't mean that Wally was safe from Roy's temper though. They fought like siblings, and holy God, Oliver was tired of it. He was definitely _not_ adopting any more kids.

"That's cheating!" Wally flipped upright suddenly in angry surprise, his thumbs going slack over the controller as 'Game Over' flashed across the screen.

"It is not," Roy said smugly. "You just suck."

"No, you're a cheater."

"It helped me win, didn't it?" Roy stuck his tongue out at Wally.

"Dad says cheating is bad," Wally told him earnestly, and then he frowned a little. "But Pop said it's fine as long as you don't get caught."

"Well, yeah," Roy rolled his eyes. "You're a bad cheater if you get caught."

"Then teach me how to cheat better," Wally demanded in frustration. He tossed the controller aside and folded his arms over his chest.

Whoops! Nope, nope, nope!

Hal would probably find this hilarious, but Barry would disapprove. Oliver didn't need any more things to disagree with Barry on. They already had enough trouble getting along without adding parenting problems into it. It wasn't like he disliked Barry – they just didn't really get each other.

Oliver knocked on the door loudly before barging in to interrupt Cheating 101, "You boys about ready to go?"

They both looked up when he came in and nodded, Wally climbing over Roy to get to his overnight bag, "I'm all packed!"

"Even your toothbrush?" Oliver asked, remembering seeing Wally dart all around the mansion gathering his stuff last night.

Wally opened his mouth to respond and then shut it abruptly like he was rethinking his answer, "Wait. Lemme check."

He jumped off the bed and ran past Oliver out of the room towards the bathroom at the end of the hall. Oliver tried not to laugh as he turned his attention back to Roy.

"How about you, Roy?"

"I said yes," he slid down from the bed and turned off his game. He put on his shoes and looked up at Oliver with uninterested eyes.

"Oh. Right," Oliver smiled like he couldn't tell Roy was being moody. He checked to make sure Wally was still gone before closing the door a bit and lowering his voice. "Listen, how about we do some training when we get home after dropping Wally off?"

"Sure," Roy shrugged. Oliver understood the boredom. Roy had already been a good archer even before Oliver adopted him, and after two years personally training him, Roy had near perfect aim. Target practice had lost its appeal long ago, and Oliver was running out of ways to stall for time.

Roy was still just as insistent as ever about being his sidekick. He _never_ let up about it. Every day, he laid out the pros and cons on a list for Oliver, and they talked about why he wasn't ready yet. Roy would argue that he _was_. Oliver would explain one of the cons. Roy would train harder until that con no longer posed a problem, and then they started all over again with the next con on the list.

They were running out of reasons why Roy couldn't come with on patrol. The only one left was the one Roy couldn't do anything about: Oliver was terrified he'd get hurt.

Roy was definitely skilled enough, and he was very impressive when they sparred. Other than his young age, Oliver saw no reason why he couldn't take on Star City's scum. He had the fierce temperament for it.

And he knew it.

Roy had already known for awhile that Oliver had no more logical reasons to keep him off the streets. He just got this paralyzing fear whenever he pictured Roy facing down a knife or a gun. Oliver wanted to lock Roy up and take away the bow, the arrows, everything. But he knew if he did that, Roy would just sneak out on his own one day and take on Star City's criminals by himself. There was a much greater risk of him getting hurt that way, so Oliver had to make the hardest choice of his life. He'd much rather Roy go out under his protection where Oliver could watch his back and look out for him.

"We're gonna do something a little different today, that alright?" Oliver tried to keep his voice from trembling. He vaguely wondered if it was idiotic to go through with a decision he _still_ wasn't entirely sure of.

"Like what?" Roy cocked his head with mild curiosity. He was well-conditioned by now to take Oliver's tricks with a grain of salt.

"We're gonna see how well you follow orders under pressure and get you some experience out in the field."

 _That_ got his attention immediately. Roy's blue eyes got bigger, and he stared at Oliver in disbelief, "I can go on a patrol with you?!"

"Yes," Oliver said, cringing as Roy started jumping up and down in muted excitement. He held up one finger and tried to settle him down a little, "But there are rules! You carry a bow and a full quiver, but you do _not_ shoot anything. You wear the costume I had made for you-"

"I have a costume?!"

"- _But_ you don't let yourself be seen. The last thing I need is for the Justice League to know I'm letting a ten year old fight crime with me. You're basically going to be following me and acting as my lookout. You aren't going to engage in any of the fights tonight, okay?"

"Okay!"

" _Roy._ I mean it." Oliver said sternly. He wasn't getting the feeling that Roy grasped the concept.

" _Okay!_ "

Before he knew it, Roy had launched himself forward and wrapped his arms around Oliver in a very rare hug. His eyes were shut tightly in glee, and his grin was pressing into Oliver's side, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Oliver pretty much melted right there. He coughed once in pleasant surprise and awkwardly put an arm around Roy. Well, it looked like he'd found a way to win Roy's affection – even if it was by exhibiting terrible parenting. But…maybe Roy wasn't quite ready for another parent yet. He and Roy might not be like father and son for a long time, but Oliver could deal with being friends until then. He matched Roy's grin with his own and stepped back, "You're welcome. Now, we have one big thing to decide before anything."

Roy frowned, tilting his head a little in confusion, "What?"

"What your superhero name is going to be."

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"Alright," Hal stretched his arms over his head as they finally made it through the crowds and onto the dock. "We need to do this _at least_ once a year. That was like extreme relaxation at its finest. Y'know, I think I gained like ten pounds on this trip. I'm gonna have to hit the gym when we get home."

Barry nodded absently as Hal spoke. It looked like he was focusing on keeping his balance on the solid, unmoving ground. They'd gotten so used to the constant motion of the sea over the last week that Barry was having trouble being on land again. "You could do some cardio with me."

"Yeah, _no_ ," Hal gave him a sarcastic look. "Cardio with you is beyond depressing. I'll just use the equipment at Mt. Justice."

"Your loss," Barry shrugged, tossing Hal an offhanded smirk. "I finally gave in and bought some really short workout shorts."

Hal started giggling like a dirty old man, "Oh, I never said I wasn't going to watch you run. Your legs are a work of art, Bear. I wouldn't miss that for anything."

"Good to know," Barry laughed. Hal had no doubt that the speedster was considering the coercion possibilities of that information.

They fought their way to the meeting place, dodging the thick traffic of people leaving port to get to the restaurant Ollie had picked. Hal immediately spotted Ollie's sleek, black sports car parked in the lot, and he carefully used a ring construct to unlock the trunk. It may or may not be an abuse of League resources, but letting Ollie send their bags through a zeta tube saved a _lot_ of time going through airport security. After they loaded their luggage in, they went inside to find everyone.

Ollie and the boys were sitting at a booth in sight of the front door. The archer was inspecting how well Wally had colored his kid's menu while Roy appeared to be staring at a chocolate milkshake four tables over. The second the bell on the door jingled as they came through, Wally's little head whipped around, and he spotted them.

"Dad! Pop!"

Hal barely had time to brace himself before Wally barreled into him, all bright red hair, sharp limbs, and smiles. He was way too old to be picked up anymore, but Hal caught him with a bear hug and lifted him off the ground anyway. Wally just about strangled him with how hard he was hugging back, "I missed you!"

"Oh, you don't even know how much we missed you," Hal smiled widely. He let Wally go after a second so he could switch over to Barry, who crushed Wally against him immediately. "Were you good for Uncle Ollie?"

Wally nodded over Barry's shoulder at the same time that Ollie made an exhausted face at the table he was sitting at. Hal grinned at his friend and walked over to the booth. Roy held up one fist for a bump – just the way Hal had taught him – and Hal obliged. He motioned for the redhead to scoot over, and then collapsed in the seat, "Hey guys. Thanks for adopting Wally while we were gone."

" _Anytime_ ," Ollie still looked miserable as he waved off the gratitude. He was slumped so far down in the booth that his shoulders barely cleared the table. "Just give e a year to recover first – and let's limit it to four days at a time, huh?"

Roy was sitting very straight in his seat, drinking his milkshake unapologetically. Hal tried not to laugh as he imagined all the trouble Roy and Wally had made. It was probably best to soothe the damage done before he and Barry lost their best babysitter. "Well, next time it'll be our turn to take Roy off your hands for a week."

Ollie gave a long-suffering nod, his mustache drooping in an extreme frown. Wally and Barry finally started heading over after their affectionate reunion, taking the empty seats beside Ollie and Hal.

"I'm old enough to not need a babysitter," Roy scrunched up his nose in distaste.

"Until you're thirteen, you're not staying by yourself anywhere," Ollie told him as if he'd said this a hundred times before.

"The mansion's never empty," Roy rolled his eyes. "There are _always_ at least ten people there."

"Yes and their job is to clean, not watch kids," Ollie sighed. " _You_ made sure of that when you were little."

Roy crossed his arms over his chest, muttering about not being a kid anymore under his breath. Hal sorta got where he was coming from; Roy was very mature for his age in that he didn't play with toys or concern himself with childish things. He was almost in junior high school now too and very aware that he was about to be a preteen.

"How was the trip?" Wally bounced on the cushion with his hands tucked under his knees. "Did you have fun?"

"It was _so_ nice," Hal said immediately, throwing an arm around the squirming child and leaning back in the booth. "We're definitely doing that again, and you're coming with next time."

Wally beamed like the sun, "Did you and Dad have 'special fun'?"

Barry frowned in confusion, "Special fun? What's that?"

Ollie choked on his drink, coughing and turning bright red while Wally shrugged. "I dunno. Uncle Ollie said it was a kind of fun only adults had, but he wouldn't say what it was."

Hal watched Barry turn sideways and shoot Ollie the darkest glare. The archer went white and shrank down in his chair. " _Really?"_

Hal cocked an eyebrow at his friend unhappily, "Yes, Wally. We had _lots_ of 'special fun'. But, try not to listen to anything Uncle Ollie tells you from now on, okay?"

Ollie chuckled nervously under the death stare Barry still had him trapped in, "Glad to hear you enjoyed yourselves. Everyone missed you two."

Yeah, Hal bet they'd been missed. He and Barry had kept up with the news on the ship, and shit had gone _down_ in Central while they were gone. There'd been a mass breakout from Iron Heights Penitentiary, one of his own enemies – Arkillo – had come looking for some payback, and the Missouri River had flooded so badly that a state of emergency had been declared for six counties in Kansas and Missouri. Poor Arthur had spent nearly half the week trying to control the flood.

"We were thinking about getting together to go golfing tomorrow if you two are in," Ollie said casually after Barry stopped buffeting him with hostility. Golfing was their codename for a Justice League council meeting. They needed to vote in the next batch of recruits. Ever since Major Force, they'd become _much_ more selective. Bruce had even developed a series of tests and a certain degree of background checking as well as a voluntary mental sweep by J'onn. Needless to say, the new security measures had turned many prospective heroes away.

"Definitely," Hal answered for both of them. "In the morning?"

Ollie nodded, rising to his feet, "You know Clark. He's gotta be up at the butt crack of dawn. It's always funny to see Bruce forced to be awake so early. He's so cranky. Anyways, we need to get going. Pretty bird's going to meet us across town in a bit, and she gets scary if we're late."

Even Roy shivered at the mention of Dinah's wrath.

Wally hopped up as well and hugged both Ollie and Roy, "Bye!"

"Hey, Ollie, let me walk you guys out," Hal hurried to follow them out the door. "I wanna talk to you about something."

Barry nodded at him, making sure that Wally stayed in the booth. Hal hadn't gotten the chance to talk to Roy about helping to keep their identities from Wally. The older boy only seemed to be feeding Wally more hints and making him extra suspicious of his dads' comings and goings. If it didn't stop soon, Wally was going to figure it out before he even turned nine.

They went out to the car a good distance away from the restaurant, and Hal was careful to keep his voice low when he leaned against the trunk facing them both, "So, I know that Roy knows I'm Green Lantern."

Ollie's eyes went comically wide, and he looked down at Roy, "Do you?"

"Duh," Roy looked unimpressed. "And Uncle Barry is the Flash."

"For how long?" Ollie asked, baffled.

"Since forever. You're all really bad at lying," Roy shrugged defensively.

His flippant attitude about it ticked Hal off a bit. He put both hands on his hips and fixed Roy with a stern look to show that he wasn't the fun uncle right now, "Roy, this isn't a game. It's very important to keep our identities a secret. If the wrong people find out, it's life or death."

"I know that," Roy ducked his head sullenly.

"Then why have you been helping Wally guess who Barry and I are?" Hal cocked one eyebrow at him.

"Because you're his dads!" Roy was clearly getting frustrated. He wasn't understanding what he'd done wrong. "He wouldn't tell anyone. And why shouldn't he get to know?!"

"Because that's not your decision to make," Hal said firmly. "Barry and I are his parents, and we don't want him to have to worry about any of this until he's older."

"He can handle it," Roy defended his friend quietly, looking down at his feet.

"I'm sure he can," Hal agreed with him, keeping the serious tone in his voice. "But right now all I want him to do is focus on normal eight year old stuff and having a good childhood. He's gonna find out one day – he's too smart for his own good – and we're not going to lie to him, but I want that day to be a long way off. You're a good kid, Roy. Do you think you can respect that decision and help Barry and I protect Wally for as long as we can?"

Roy wouldn't meet his gaze, but he nodded anyway. His foot kicked out at the gravel half-heartedly and sent a few rocks skittering away.

"Hey," Hal put a hand on Roy's shoulder and smiled at him sympathetically. "You too, okay? Don't be in such a hurry to grow up, Speedy. Being an adult isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Roy looked up at him suddenly, his eyes weirdly intense like something Hal said had sparked a revelation. He nodded more firmly this time, and then his mouth set in a determined line, "Okay. I'll keep your secret."

Ollie smiled at his son proudly, resting an arm around him, but Hal got an uneasy feeling at the look in Roy's eyes. The kid seemed truthful about Wally, but it was like because something much worse had taken priority instead.

"But you'll have to keep _my_ secret too," Roy declared suddenly, holding his head up in defiance and challenging Hal with a glare.

"What secret…?" he asked tentatively. Behind Roy, Ollie went pale and his smile slackened into astonished dread.

Roy smiled slyly in response, "You'll see."

Hal said nothing to that. He tried to look to Ollie for an explanation, but his friend ignored him completely. Ollie opened the door for Roy, and carefully ushered him inside, looking upset and strangely stoic now that the surprise had worn off.

Hal didn't understand what had just happened, but he'd been listening to his instincts long enough to know that it wasn't going to be good. As soon as the car door shut on Roy, Hal pulled his friend aside, "Ollie?"

"Don't – uh… Don't worry about it," the blond said quietly, having difficulties looking at Hal for more than three seconds. "No one's going to like me very much – including you – but I'm doing the best I can with my options."

"You know I hate cryptic shit like that," Hal felt a bit of anxiety crop up. "What's going on? What did Roy mean?"

Ollie went back to the car, shaking his head solemnly, "I'm sorry. I can't tell you yet. Just know that I'm as angry with myself as you're going to be."

"I'm _going_ to be angry right now if you don't tell me what's wrong," Hal made to follow him.

"I'll send your luggage through the zeta beams, so it should be at your house when you get home," Ollie had already cut off the conversation and was in the car. "I'll catch you later."

" _Ollie!_ " Hal raised his voice, but the door slammed shut and the car started to back up out of the parking space. Hal jumped out of the way, but he smacked the hood as it passed. "I'm seriously going to hit you in the face!"

Without even rolling the window down, Ollie and Roy drove away, leaving Hal alone in the parking lot with a metric fuckton of worries. He immediately dashed back inside to tell Barry, fully intending on keeping a razor sharp eye on Star City for as long as it took.

What the hell was Ollie talking about?

Wally was coloring in his kids menu again when Hal got back. He was running through a seemingly endless list of questions about their trip that Barry was answering with patience and smiles. Hal slid in beside Barry and put his hand on the speedster's knee, lightly dragging his thumb across the kneecap. Barry didn't make any signs that he knew something was amiss, but his hand closed over Hal's under the table and squeezed the fingers.

They didn't really need to speak to communicate anymore. Hal just smiled and nodded along to Wally's chattering, trusting that Barry knew he'd explain everything when they were alone.


	16. Chapter 16

Outside the bathroom window, Barry caught a flicker of lightning arc down from the sky in the distance. He watched the white-yellow electrostatic discharge fork down at the ground like an inverted tree, knifing into the earth behind the outline of forest in the national park.

He tapped the razor against the sink and started counting seconds, bringing the razor back up to his jaw and sliding it across his skin. Twenty-two seconds later, the sound of thunder tumbled through the area like boulders bouncing off a cliffside. Barry smiled to himself and continued shaving the short, glimmering blond hairs from his face. Even before the accident that had given him his powers, Barry had always calculated how far away a lightning strike was by the time it took to hear the thunder. He remembered his mother taught him how to do it when he was a boy.

Barry had gotten good at it, too. He'd lived in Iowa as a child before moving to Missouri, so violent thunderstorms were normal to him. Both states were located in the heart of tornado alley. Counting until the thunder was a habit that had carried on into adulthood. It was a neat little trick. Maybe he'd teach it to Wally today. It was spring now, and the storms came almost daily.

The torrents of rain falling drowned out the sound of the water faucet as Barry rinsed the razor again. He was thinking about the League today. It had been on his mind for the last few days with Hal gone.

It was impressive how well the Justice League had organized itself since the early days when there were only seven of them and the world didn't know they existed. Barry would've never believed the roster would grow to its current twenty members. The whole thing had started because it had been more efficient to coordinate and team up against big enemies, and now they were responding to global threats on a daily basis – more effective than most militaries.

There were long-established heroes that called Barry 'sir' now. He'd never get used to that. Over the last two years, a _lot_ had happened. Another Kryptonian named Supergirl had arrived, Doctor Fate went into retirement, a former Marine and architect named John Stewart was now Earth's third Green Lantern, and the Watchtower's construction was over halfway completed. Bruce had told him once that he needed to get over his phobia of closed spaces, and Barry hadn't gotten excited until he saw the plans for the lab being installed. That lab was a veritable wonderland.

Barry had inappropriate dreams about that lab. Often…

There were other, smaller things that had happened in the League: new friends Barry had made, friends he'd lost, and then there was Oliver. Barry splashed water on his face, already feeling the cold, dull anger waking up again. He still couldn't believe Oliver hadn't been kicked out of the League for what he'd done. The archer had certainly earned the ire of every single member two years ago when he let a _child_ put on a mask and – Barry didn't want to think about it again. Even Hal refused to speak to Oliver anymore. He'd tried his hardest to be a good friend, giving Oliver the benefit of the doubt and flying to Star City every day to try to understand what he was thinking. Every night, Hal would come home furious and yelling about how Oliver wouldn't change his mind. Barry's heart ached for Hal, but he didn't know what else they could do.

Even Wally had suffered. He'd only been able to see Roy less than twelve times since the first time 'Speedy' had been spotted alongside Green Arrow in the news. Barry wouldn't let Wally have play dates with Roy if Oliver was going to be there. The only person he'd allow watch his son in Star City was Dinah. Surprisingly, she hadn't left Oliver when the rest of the world found out, and she was the only other Leaguer in his corner.

The whole thing was a gaping wound in the Justice League that had never healed. No one talked about it anymore, and they all worked with Oliver regularly, so it had festered into this horrible couple years and sparked endless debates across the country. By proxy, all the heroes had taken a hit for this in the media.

Barry covered his face with his hands and took a deep breath. He was doing it again – brooding over the same thing he'd rehashed a million times over.

He shrugged on a shirt and buttoned it up, resisting the urge to tuck it in. Hal was always teasing him about how he dressed professionally even outside of work. He quickly ran a comb through his hair and dashed downstairs where Wally was watching Saturday morning cartoons with a finished bowl of cereal.

Wally looked up when Barry passed the living room. He smiled, and the light freckles dotting his nose and cheeks stood out sharply, "Morning, Dad."

Barry couldn't believe how quickly he was growing up. He missed when Wally was a little toddler and carried around Pavlov and called him 'Daddy'.

"Morning," he smiled back five times brighter, putting his hands on his hips. He wasn't going to think about depressing things today. Today was going to be fun. "You feel like hanging out with your old man today?"

"Yeah," Wally perked up, clicking off the TV and jumping off the couch in a rush. "What are we gonna do?"

"Oh, I dunno," Barry feigned indecision, leaning against the wall and tapping his toes against the floor idly as he 'thought'.

He had a plan – a really, truly devious plan. Hal had been off-planet on a Lantern mission with John Stewart for five days, and it was the _perfect_ chance for Barry to pull a stunt that would win him the title of Wally's favorite superhero once and for all. Hal would be coming back home tonight, and Barry couldn't wait to see the look on his face. The Flash/Green Lantern war was about to be over.

"I thought we could go out and use up some of those gift cards Uncle Bruce sent you for your tenth birthday, maybe go see a movie," Barry pretended to be bored as he listed off activities. "Then I figured we'd swing by the police station and you could meet the Flash. Y'know…if we have time."

Wally had frozen solid sometime during that last sentence and he was now beginning to hyperventilate. His green eyes were wide, perfect circles in his head as he floundered to speak, "What? _Really?!"_

Barry nodded, laughing, "Flash called to let me know he brought in some evidence I need to check out, and I asked if he'd stick around so you could meet him."

"Oh my God, can e go right now?!" Wally's fists ere clenched tight and he as just sort of stuck in place rigidly. "Is this real? You're not playing a prank, are you?"

"I would never joke about meeting Flash," Barry held one hand over his heart solemnly.

Wally was fully freaking out now. He sprinted for the front door, grabbing Barry's wallet and car keys along the way and dancing in a weird sort of jig on the front porch. The slanting rain pelted him through the awning and around the posts, "Let's go now! Please?! Can we?!"

"Get back in here!" Barry reached out and tugged Wally back inside. The smell of damp earth and rain filled the house. He wiped at the droplets of water clinging to Wally's red hair, too amused to scold him properly. "What's wrong with you? Go put on a coat, you dork. You're gonna catch a cold."

Wally just grinned and dashed off to jam his arms into a hooded windbreaker. He held up his hands and zipped up the coat, "Better? Can we go?!"

Barry followed him out the door, laughing at Wally's enthusiasm and enjoying the warmth filling his chest, "Yes we can go now. Go ahead and get in the car."

"Yes!" Wally pumped his fist in the air and shoved Barry's keys back into his hands. He dashed through the pouring rain and jumped into the front seat of the candy apple red car sitting in the driveway. Hal had bought it for Barry with the bonus he'd gotten from landing Ferris Aircraft a giant contract with the Air Force. Barry kept a car out of necessity to help keep his identity a secret, but he'd chosen a plain, boring car to drive – something that didn't draw attention and allude to his love of high speeds.

Hal had hated Barry's old car. All he'd ever say was how hot he thought Barry would look behind the wheel of a convertible. Then, one day he came home from work to find the shiny red Mustang parked in his space with a ridiculous green bow on it.

Barry had to admit that he liked it.

There wouldn't be any putting the top down _today_ – not with this storm – but it was still nice.

He slid into the driver's seat and started the engine, listening to the powerful machine roar to life. He glanced over at Wally bouncing excitedly in the seat beside him and couldn't help but laugh, "You've gotta calm down, Wally. You're shaking the whole car."

"Calm down?!" Wally looked appalled at the idea. "I'm about to meet my _favorite_ hero ever! My _favorite!_ How am I supposed to calm down?"

Barry held up one hand in surrender as he drove towards town, feeling borderline giddy himself, "Alright, alright. Just panic a little less forcefully, yeah?"

"I'll try, Dad." Wally sucked in a deep breath and sighed, leaning his forehead against the window until a particularly loud crack of thunder made him jump. "But I can't make any promises."

Barry snorted, turning the windshield wipers on high, "Aren't you the little adult? Remember not to drool on Flash."

Wally seemed to consider this a grave concern. His eyebrows pulled together and he spent the whole trip to the station rehearsing what he would say, constantly asking Barry if it was too much.

Barry would have to try _very_ hard not to laugh when he got into costume.

He pulled up into his reserved space, and Wally was out of the car and racing to the front doors before Barry was even finished undoing his seatbelt, "Don't go in there without me! Wally!"

But, Wally had already disappeared. Barry jogged up the steps drenched and slipped inside to catch up with him. The receptionist waved at him with a smile and pointed to the side where Captain Frye was ruffling Wally's hair and laughing.

"Barry, he's so tall! What're you and Hal feeding this kid?" Darryl grinned when Wally swatted his hands away playfully.

"Everything," Barry answered with a laugh. "He's a bottomless pit. He once out ate fifteen grown men."

Wally beamed proudly and nodded while Darryl looked put out, "And you're skinny as a rail. How fair is that?"

"It's just my youth, I suppose," Wally shrugged with an impish smile.

Darryl's jaw dropped open in shock, and he turned to laugh at Barry, "I see he's picked up sass from Hal."

"More than he can fit in his brain," Barry came over to pull Wally against his side. "And sarcasm, and bad manners-"

"And how to fly a plane," Wally boasted with both hands on his hips, not denying a single claim.

Barry just let his shoulders slump at the resulting look Frye gave him. There wasn't much he could say except 'Yes, my boyfriend did let our son co-pilot a jet with him a year ago. But, don't worry; I'm still punishing them both for it', so he kept his mouth shut.

"Well, that's cool," Darryl sounded like he wasn't sure what to make of it either. In the distance, there was another roaring crack of thunder, and the lights in the station flickered for a moment. Barry could hear the hammering of rain against the roof intensify. "What brings you boys out this way today? Can't stay away from work even on your days off?"

Wally reigned in his excitement and stayed carefully quiet just like they'd rehearsed on the way over. Barry had gotten away with 'knowing the Flash' all these years by telling Wally that it was even a secret from the guys at the station. Hal had been the brilliant one who made up the 'If people knew Barry was friends with Flash, it would put him in danger' bit. Wally knew to let Barry to the talking.

"We're just having a father and son day, and he wanted to see my personal lab," Barry grinned convincingly. "He wants to be a forensic scientist when he grows up."

"Really?" Darryl looked unsure for a moment, undoubtedly thinking about the gruesome part of the job picking apart crime scenes and becoming so desensitized to blood and death that it stopped bothering you.

"I'm trying to convince him to pick something else to do for a living, don't worry," Barry glanced down at his son and found Wally rolling his eyes with a smile. That part wasn't a lie; Wally had a growing aptitude for mathematics and science, and he was eagerly bombarding Barry with questions about his job almost daily. Barry was holding nothing back now – not sugar-coating the answers at all to hopefully scare Wally away from that field. So far, it wasn't working, but Barry held out hope for him to get into biology or engineering instead.

One of the detectives came over to get Frye's attention, so he waved them off and told Wally to have fun. Barry led them down to the secluded testing lab that they rarely needed to use, stopping along the way as they passed all of his coworkers. They all had to mess up Wally's hair even more and comment on how fast he was growing. Marge in evidence lock up gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, which he made a big show of trying to squirm away from. Wally had spent a lot of time hanging around the station when he was younger and Barry was still struggling to find daycare for him.

The thunder seemed to follow them as they moved through the labs. Wally was normally afraid of storms, but his excitement at getting to meet Flash was so great that he didn't even notice the flickering lightning through the windows. Barry stopped just before they reached the door and put a hand on Wally's shoulder to get his attention, "Alright, kiddo. Are you gonna be okay by yourself? I need to go upstairs and finish some projects."

"I'll be fine!" Wally nodded convulsively. He was dancing in place and alternating between clenching his hands into fists and waggling his fingers restlessly. Barry laughed to himself and hugged Wally.

"Have fun then, and don't forget your manners. I'll come get you when I'm done," Barry made big show of walking back down the hallway the way they came. "Tell Flash I said hi."

As soon as he rounded the corner and was out of sight, Barry thumbed the release catch on his costume ring and caught the lightweight red fabric when it came shooting out. He pulled on the uniform in the blink of an eye and ran back to the lab before Wally opened the door, vibrating through the walls so he wouldn't be spotted. When he got to the right room, he zipped over to stand beside the windows and waited for Wally to come in.

This felt extremely weird to be pretending like his son didn't know him, but it would be worth it when Hal came home to Wally gushing over how he got to meet his favorite superhero. It would certainly help him get back at Hal for constantly pulling pranks on him. Barry couldn't even count how many times Hal had put salt on his toothbrush in the morning or stuffed his umbrella with confetti.

There was a small knock at the door that he barely heard over all the rolling thunder, and it slowly cracked open. Barry fidgeted in his suit, his mind reeling with last second doubts. Was this too much? Wally had come so close to figuring out his and Hal's identities a couple years ago. Would seeing Barry up close in costume finally make him connect the dots? Barry really wished he'd designed his mask to cover his eyes too. Would Wally recognize the blue color? Barry had memorized the exact shade of green and brown that Wally's and Hal's eyes were.

But, then again, Captain Frye had known him since he was a kid and he'd never guessed.

Very tentatively, Wally's head poked inside the room, his fingers clutching the side of the door in a white-knuckled grip. He spotted Barry standing there in full costume, and his eyes went wide. Barry just sent him a friendly smile and watched him shrink back behind the door, change his mind, and then trip over his own feet as he came in. His whole face went beet red, and he looked torn between wanting to turn and run and wanting to melt into a puddle of pure happiness.

Barry decided to spare him the impending panic attack, and he waved first, "Good afternoon, young man."

He hoped he'd made his voice deep enough to be unrecognizable. There wasn't any sign of recognition on Wally's face. The redhead grinned so wide that the smile could've split his face in half, and he started hyperventilating, "Uh…h-hi Flash. Good after-after… _hi_."

Barry tried his hardest not to laugh. He'd never seen Wally this shy before. It was adorable. He stepped forward and held out his hand, "You must be Wally. Your dad told me that you wanted to meet me."

Wally snapped out of the open-mouthed daze he'd been in and frantically shook Barry's hand with both of his own, "Yeah, I'm Wally! _Hi!_ Sorry, you're just so cool! You're my favorite hero! I wanna be just like you when I grow up – well, you and my dad – I mean, without the superpowers though – like saving people and catching bad guys! I think that's really awesome – like you could do _anything_ with your powers, and you decide to help people!"

Barry just nodded, a little surprised by Wally, "Uh…thank you. That's not something most kids your age think about."

"I think about all kinds of things!" Wally took it as a compliment, and it seemed to ease his nervousness. He pulled a folded up piece of paper from his pocket and held it up. "I have a lot of questions too. Can I ask you some?"

"They're about me?" Barry leaned back a little against the counter lining the walls.

Wally opened the folds to a paper that had to be at least two feet long, "All the ones on _this_ paper are."

Barry eyed the handwriting that he could see through the paper. It took up almost every inch of the page. He swallowed hard and nodded, not wanting to disappoint Wally, "Ask away. I've got nothing but time."

"This is so cool!" Wally hopped up to sit on the counter beside the sink and eyewash station. "Okay. First question: How old were you when you became Flash?"

That was relatively harmless. Barry knew the answer to that one without having to think, "I was twenty-three."

At Wally's age, he didn't have a very good concept of how young that was, so he nodded without much of a reaction. Barry expected him to scribble down the answer on the paper, but he just moved onto the next one, "Why did you decide to become a superhero?"

Barry had gotten this question several times over the years in interviews and from reporters lucky enough to catch him before he sped off after a fight. He'd always disliked answering it, because he didn't want to lie, but he also didn't have any kind of righteous or vengeful reason like Clark and Bruce. He wasn't born to do it like Diana. His answer always got him weird looks and disappointed reactions like he should've had an epic speech prepared. He ducked his head and shrugged a little, "I just like helping people."

Wally didn't reply to that, but when Barry glanced sideways at him, he saw his face lit up in quiet awe. Barry felt a smile tug at his lips. Wally was always surprising him and making him change the way he viewed things.

"Who's _your_ favorite hero?" Wally was even more relaxed in his presence now and visibly happier after hearing Barry's answer for why he saved people.

Barry gave a short laugh and crossed his arms over his chest, "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

Wally's eyes got bigger and he nodded eagerly, clutching the paper with both hands.

"Green Lantern."

Wally's grin could've consumed his face. He appeared to be warring with himself for a moment before saying, "Would you be mad if I said that he's one of my favorites too?"

Barry smiled wryly and thought to himself: Yup, this was expected. His little game with Hal was over even before the prank was finished. They had tied for Wally's favorite hero. He chuckled quietly and was honestly happy about it, "It's perfectly alright to have more than one favorite."

"Cool," relieved that Barry wasn't mad at him, Wally glanced down at his written questions again and started fidgeting in place. "So, how did you get your powers? Were you born with them?"

"No," Barry straightened up and folded his arms across his chest. He actually loved talking about this and swapping theories on how his speed had developed. "It was an accident. In fact, it happened right in this – I mean in a lab _like_ this one when I was twenty-two."

"What happened?" Wally's eyes were the size of oranges and his voice came out in a quiet whisper.

"I was restocking the chemical rack here," Barry wandered over to the shelves set up beside a set of wide windows looking out on the back lot of the station. He rested his hand on the support bar and turned to nod at the gallon bottles lined up beside him. "When a great big bolt of lightning hit me right in the back and shoved me into the shelves. Some of the bottles spilled and they must've reacted with the lightning to give me my powers. When I got up, I had superspeed."

Wally was silent for a minute as he hopped down from the counter and carefully made his way over to the chemical rack. He stared at it warily as if picturing it all in his head, and then his eyes flickered to Barry, "Did it hurt?"

Barry lifted one shoulder in a half shrug, "No more than getting hit by a car, I'd imagine."

The look Wally fixed him with clearly said that he thought getting hit by a car would hurt very much.

"That's so _weird_ ," Wally was fascinated now, running his fingers over the labels and reading each one. "How was the rack set up back then? Which chemicals got on you? Are they set up that way right now?"

"Um…" Barry stepped back and surveyed the shelves carefully. Using his enhanced speed, he quickly rearranged the gallon bottles into the correct pattern from memory. He'd gone over that day countless times trying to figure out what had mutated or reacted with his body to result in Meta powers, and he had every detail down to the exact minute the lightning struck. "When I calmed down enough to realize what happened, I catalogued all of the chemicals that had spilled. It was these twelve."

He could see the wheels turning in Wally's head, actively trying to figure it out. "Have you ever tried to make it happen again?"

His list of questions was clearly forgotten as he eyed the chemical setup like a kid in a candy store. And Wally probably knew what half of the chemicals were for. Hal had bought him a kid's chemistry set when Wally was nine.

"I've drawn samples of my own blood to analyze, but I don't want to risk someone else's life to test it out," Barry explained. "Even if I walked away from the accident alright, another person trying it might be really hurt."

"I get that," Wally accepted the logic with a slow nod. He was continuing to eye the different chemicals with unveiled interest when the communicator in Barry's ear chirped twice.

_"Mt. Justice to Flash."_

Barry lifted two fingers to the stylized bolts on his cowl and pressed the microphone built in, "This is Flash. Go."

Wally's eyes traveled over to him curiously, but Barry just gave him a reassuring smile and gestured to the earpiece in a vague 'phone call' pantomime. He waved for Wally to keep on exploring and retreated to the far end of the room. He was used to having quality time with his son interrupted by League business. That was just how his life was.

J'onn was manning the monitor station in the cave, his calm voice coming across almost hypnotic with the added echo _, "I'm detecting a massive storm cell rapidly forming directly over Central City."_

"Yeah, that's pretty normal. It's just that season," Barry glanced out the window where the rain's intensity had picked up a bit. The drops were coming down nearly sideways now, but they'd been fluctuating all day. He wasn't worried. The storm may spawn a tornado before it fizzled out, but that was nothing he couldn't handle.

 _"The storm that our instruments have picked up didn't form naturally. It's inside of, but completely separate from the cell already over your city. This one appeared in the last five minutes,"_ J'onn corrected him very fluidly.

It had been raining since Barry woke up this morning. He rubbed the back of his neck and mourned the rest of his day off that would be lost. Wally was actually holding one of the containers now and grinning like he was at an amusement park.

"Great," he sighed, turning his back on Wally and lowering his voice. He wasn't looking forward to dragging his son away when he was having such a good time. "Sounds like it's Weather Wizard then. Do you know where the center of the storm is?"

_"Directly over top of your location."_

Reflexively, Barry looked around like he'd be able to see Mardon hiding somewhere, "Thanks for the heads up."

_"I'll continue to monitor the storm and let you know if it changes."_

Alright. If there was an impending Weather Wizard attack right here, Barry didn't want his son anywhere near the station. He released the mic button and turned around to take a few steps toward Wally, "I'm sorry, bud. We've gotta head home now. This storm is getting bad really fast. Jay's gonna have to watch you for a bit until…"

In the split second it took for the dawning horror to hit as he realized his slip up, he could see Wally's eyebrows turning down in confusion. His green eyes narrowed suspiciously, "What? How do you know who Jay is?"

Barry froze in place, unconsciously cutting off all connection to his powers momentarily – as if that would nullify what he'd said. He used each passing second to match his racing heartbeat to, watching Wally's expression shift to understanding and then shock. His hands were gripping the sealed container for dear life.

"Wally-" Barry stretched one arm out to try and calm his son, his steadied pulse pounding in his ears like a slow drum.

A blinding flash of light rushed by on the other side of the window beside Wally, and Barry saw a surging bolt of lightning arc through the glass. The window shattered inwards as the lightning broke into the gallon container in Wally's hands and knifed into his chest. The container burst on impact, and the chemicals inside washed over him, reacting with the heat and igniting his clothes and skin. Wally was thrown back into the shelf with a faint crunch, crumpling to the floor. The shelf teetered over him, and Barry dashed across the room to throw his weight into it.

 _"Wally!"_ he shoved the shelves back and knocked busted canisters and gallon bottles away from Wally.

His son was screaming and writhing in agony on the floor as the flames ate away at him. Faster than he'd ever moved before, Barry ran to grab the fire blanket and throw it over Wally to smother the flames, "Oh my God! _Wally!"_

Wally's cries died down into a weak, croaking whine, and he stopped thrashing entirely. The acrid smell of burning hair and flesh assaulted Barry's nose, bringing terrified tears to his eyes. He just kept frantically patting Wally down through the heavy blanket, doing his best to make sure that all of the flames were extinguished. Wally's leg kicked out in a spasm, and then he went deathly still.

"Nonono…" Barry breathed out in a whisper. He cautiously lifted one corner of the blanket and immediately let go when he saw the thick strands of melted skin coming away from Wally's shoulder.

Barry stood in numb shock and looked out the shattered window where slanted rain and soaked leaves were blowing inside. His eyes scanned the cars in the back lot, searching for any sign of Mardon against the grey skies. He was operating on reflex, because he didn't know what he'd even _do_ if the Rogue was out there. Not with Wally-

A faint squeak was Wally's sneaker dragging weakly across the wet floor, and the sound snapped Barry out of it. He immediately pulled up a connection to Mt. Justice through his earpiece and set the mic to hands free mode, _"J'onn!"_

It took a moment, but the Martian finally responded while Barry was scooping Wally up in his arms, "Flash? Are you alright? Do you need assistance with the storm?"

"No," Barry's voice came out cracked and desperate. Without waiting to see if Weather Wizard would come bursting into the lab, Barry sprinted through the halls of the station with his son's body and ran with blinding speed across Missouri heading for the Illinois border. "It's Wally! My so – he was struck by lightning! I need help – he's so badly burned! Please, I'm heading to the cave right now. J'onn-"

"Come straight to the medical wing. It's finished now and more advanced than any hospital on Earth. I will meet you there. Is he currently breathing?" He sounded concerned and commanding.

Barry felt small puffs of air against his neck, but he was too afraid of pulling off more of Wally's skin to make sure, "I – I think so! Can you save him?!"

"I will try," J'onn told him gravely. "Dr. Mid-Nite has been informed and is teleporting to Happy Harbor as we speak."

"I'm almost there too," Barry gasped through his tightened throat. It was hard to run and cry at the same time, so he did his best to smother his panic and frantic heartbeat. He needed to be fast, not grieving!

His feet flew faster than he'd ever pushed them before, and he reached Rhode Island in less than two minutes. Barry didn't slow down. He just vibrated right through the mountain's west face and into one of the hallways.

His sudden arrival startled two heroes heading away from the infirmary. One leapt back with a cry when Barry dashed out of the wall between them and fell over on his crutches _, "Gah!"_

The other hero – Blue Beetle – snorted with laughter and clutched his sides as he flailed one arm at Booster Gold sprawled out on his face, "Oh man! Booster, you okay? Flash really knocked you -! Flash? You alright, bud-?"

Barry didn't stick around to hear the end of the sentence. He was gone in a rush of air, blowing through the medical wing doors and into the brightly lit operating theater where Dr. Mid-Nite was waving him down. He laid Wally out flat on the table and stepped back, body still humming from anxiety. Small crackles of electricity were arcing along his body and snapping at the air with high-pitched chirps. "Is he alive?"

J'onn was hovering beside the examination table with both hands splayed out over the fire blanket wrapped around Wally. His eyes glowed dull red as he worked, but Barry didn't have any idea what he was doing, "Shouldn't you do something about all the burns? They're-"

"Flash," Mid-Nite put a hand on his arm and pushed him back towards the door. "Can you wait outside the medical wing? You can't help with this, and you shouldn't have to watch."

"No, I'm not leaving him," Barry shook his head slowly, his gaze locked on Wally's silhouette.

"Come on," Mid-Nite coaxed softly. "At least go down the hall. We really do need as much room in here as possible, or we can't help him as efficiently."

It didn't sound like a plausible excuse, but Barry didn't trust his reasoning to be correct at the moment. He didn't want to risk it, so he let Mid-Nite carefully lead him out into the hallway where he just stood there feeling lost. His legs carried him aimlessly until they gave out beside the double doors separating the medical wing from the rest of the base.

Barry sank to his heels and bent over to rest his head on his knees, both hands covering the back of his neck. Somehow, this position made it a little easier to breathe while his world was ending. He should be going after Weather Wizard before anyone else got hurt, but his body refused to budge.

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"Do all your missions end so…colorfully?" John asked after the pair of Lanterns entered Earth's upper atmosphere, leaving the cold darkness of space behind. It was an unofficial rule Hal had made that he always flew in where the sun was shining, no matter what time of day it was. Sometimes, he had to travel across an entire hemisphere to get home, but it was worth it. Hal needed to actually _see_ the planet to feel like he was really on Earth.

"Colorful is probably the nicest way you could've put that," Hal sighed as he led the way through the clouds. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

This was why Hal liked John Stewart. He was efficient, a powerhouse in a fight, and blessedly forgiving when his superior Lantern totally botched their recon mission and got them captured on an alien prison planet.

"I would've chosen 'clusterfuck' to describe it myself, but whatever," Hal shrugged one shoulder self-deprecatingly while John laughed beside him.

They came in above Africa and veered west to fly over the Atlantic. Their first stop would be in Rhode Island to check in with the League, and then all Hal wanted to do was go home to his two best guys and pass out.

"Nah. You're too hard on yourself," John grinned at him. "I was warned extensively about you in Kilowog's boot camp, and Guy wasted _no_ time sharing yall's exploits the first time I met him. I _expected_ the mission to go south."

"I'm too tired to be offended by that," Hal remarked with a yawn. He'd gotten _maybe_ ten hours sleep in the last week – four days of which had been spent on the hard, dirty floor of a prison cell.

As soon as they got within range, Hal's communicator pinged him with a message from Mt. Justice. Hmm. What day was it? Saturday. That meant Bruce would be scheduled for monitor duty. He groaned internally and ignored the message, turning his head to John, "Have you ever met Batman before?"

John's eyes widened a little in surprise at the question and he shook his head, "Uh, can't say that I have. Why?"

The sky and ground around them were darkening with dusk as they got closer and closer to North America. Hal figured it would be close to eight at night in Central City, "He'll be at the cave if you want to stop by and meet him before heading off to Detroit."

"I think I'm gonna pass on that," John chuckled in his deep voice. "I don't plan on dealing with him until I absolutely have to."

"It's gonna be sooner than later," Hal teased lightly. "The League's been looking at you for membership, and I fully intend on bullying you into it."

"No thanks."

"He's really not as intimidating when he's outside of Gotham. I promise."

"Nope."

They both could see the specks of light dotting the east coast now, shining against the night sky. Hal slowed down when his ring pulsed to guide him slightly north to Rhode Island, and he waved goodbye when John rocketed away to the Midwest to his own city.

Hal pressed two fingers to the communicator in his ear and stretched out the leisurely pace he was flying as long as he could. He just _knew_ Bruce would want a full report on his mission – even though it wasn't any of his damn business. "Green Lantern to Mt. Justice. I'm coming back in from my mission. Anyone home?"

A small grin pulled at the edges of his mouth. Bruce hated it when he wasn't professional.

_"Hey, GL. It's Elongated Man."_

Hal's smile disappeared into a confused frown. _That_ wasn't the voice he'd been expecting, "Where's Bats?"

 _"I'm covering for him,"_ Ralph explained quickly. He sounded a little off – more serious than usual. _"He's busy in Gotham. You know Haly's Circus was stopped there this weekend? Well, they had a double homicide during one of the acts a few hours ago, and Batman's working the case."_

"What, really?" Hal cringed a little. Haly's was a pretty well known troupe that was constantly touring the US. He'd gone to see them in Coast City once when he was a boy. A murder during one of their shows was really going to headline in the news for weeks. "Geez…"

 _"Yeah, it's terrible,"_ Ralph said in a distracted sort of tone. He definitely sounded off tonight. Hal was just about to ask what was wrong when the other hero spoke over him. _"Listen, there's something you need to know. Flash is here. With Wally."_

Hal dropped a few feet in the air before he recovered from the surprise, "What?! Why? Why did he bring Wally _there_?!"

 _"Wally's hurt,"_ Ralph told him very quietly. The words drove straight into Hal's bones, and he frowned at the ocean passing by below him. _"You need to prepare yourself. It's...bad. I'm so sorry, Hal."_

The gut-wrenching panic took hold and dug into him an instant later. Fighting against falling apart, Hal locked his jaw to keep the trembling out of his voice and spoke through his teeth, "Are they in the med wing?"

"Yes. It's been ten hours."

"I'll be there in two minutes," Hal relayed grimly. His ring surged bright green with power reserves, and he kicked it into high gear. The whole way to Mt. Justice, his mind reeled trying to figure out what had hurt Wally – geez, or _who_. Hal would _kill_ whoever had done this. His fingers clenched into a shaking fist, just begging to be shown a target.

He needed Barry. Barry always had it together. He'd keep Hal calm and he'd know what to do.

Hal flew in through the grassy ramp that opened into the small hangar and garage. Katar and Shayera were there allowing Steel to inspect their Nth metal weaponry and armor. All three heroes moved to greet him, but Hal was only a glowing green streak as he passed them by without slowing down. A few other heroes were lingering in the cave – mostly in the briefing room – and Hal ignored them all until he reached the medical wing and saw Clark, Diana, and Ollie waiting outside of the double doors.

The two League founders were standing close together and talking in hushed voices. Diana's arms were drawn tightly around herself, making her appear much smaller and scared. Her face was creased with worry and she chewed at her bottom lip in uncharacteristic anxiety. Beside her, Clark was very open with his grief. He was pacing in a short line as he spoke, glancing at the doors every few seconds.

It didn't surprise Hal that they were here, and he greatly appreciated their concern. They were like an uncle and aunt to Wally.

What surprised him was seeing Oliver leaning with one foot propped up on the wall. He had his arms crossed over his chest and face turned down at the floor, keeping several feet away from the other two. Hal didn't know why he was _here_. It was pretty clear that he was waiting around for news, despite his distance. He rarely hung around the cave outside of missions anymore, and he certainly didn't go places where he might run into _Hal_. The last time they'd seen each other, things had gotten pretty nasty. They'd both said terrible things, and Hal had left Star City with a drawn arrow pointed at his back.

He pulled up mid-flight and landed in a brisk walk as he neared the group of heroes. Clark immediately looked up and started towards him with a calming hand thrown out to slow Hal's rage, "He's alive, Hal, and stable for now."

Hal released the breath he'd been holding in a shuddering exhalation, forgetting all about his anger. Diana and Oliver dropped their rigid poses as well, and made a few steps to come closer. Ollie hung back, but Diana gripped Hal's arm and helped keep him upright, "Barry's inside with him now, but you need to be there too. Neither is doing well."

"Is Barry hurt too?" Hal heart stuttered a bit.

"No," Clark said quickly, looking so somber. "He's just a mess. None of us can get through to him. I'm staying close in case he starts slipping into relative time. It's not gotten that bad yet, but…"

But they all remembered Iris' death.

Hal could've kicked himself. How dare he think that Barry should keep _him_ together at a time like this, especially after the violent way he'd lost his late wife? Hal needed to be the rock this time and support _Barry_.

"No, I get it," Hal nodded his understanding and sidestepped on his way to the doors. "Thank you for staying with them."

He was almost there when Ollie jogged up to him, "Hal…"

He stopped and turned his head, mostly in surprise, staring at the archer dumbly. Predictably, he said something stupid, as was usual when he was scared, "Why are _you_ here?"

"Why am I…?" Ollie pulled up short, looking suddenly hurt. He laid one palm flat over his heart and sent Hal a look so earnest that it actually made him forget to be irritated. "Jesus! Do you even have to ask? I mean, yeah, we've been fighting and we've said some unforgivable things, but this is your son… I came as soon as I heard."

Hal didn't know what to say to that. He just let their feud drain away and allowed himself to be grateful – at least for right now. Honestly, if Roy had been hurt, Hal wouldn't be able to stay away either. He didn't reach out to pat Oliver on the back or grip his arm, but he managed a numb smile, "…Thanks."

"I'll, uh, I'll be out here if…yeah…" he trailed off uncertainly and backed away.

Clark and Diana were staring at Ollie strangely, but Hal didn't have any time to waste thinking about it. He just latched onto the extra support and prepared himself.

Hal pushed open the double doors and stepped inside, his eyes instantly finding Barry crouched on the ground with his cowl pulled back and his face buried in his hands.

Barry looked up when he heard Hal come in. Thick tears were streaming down his face, "Hal!"

"What happened?!" Hal was startled by the devastated, heartbroken look on his face. Barry's body flickered with super speed, and then he was on his feet and suddenly right in front of him, shaking so hard he was vibrating. Hal gripped him by the shoulders and tried to get him to breathe.

"Wally – he got hit by – oh God, it's my fault!" Barry looked up at him with big, tortured eyes. "He's dying! He got struck by that lightning….and all that fire…."

"Wait, wait, wait," Hal swallowed hard and tried desperately to shove down his frantic fears. "Fire? What are you talking about – tell me from the beginning. Take it slow."

Barry took a few rapid, deep breaths, sniffing back tears, "It was _so_ stupid, I'm sorry, Hal! I let him meet me – me as Flash. I just – it was a stupid idea to make him like Flash more. I thought if Wally met him in person – but then he wanted to know how I got my powers and I set up everything like it happened, but God, this lightning bolt just came out of nowhere and….and – Hal, he's burned everywhere! His skin is just…just charred…. And it's _my_ fault! I killed my son!"

Hal took the sides of Barry's face with shaking hands, barely keeping from losing it himself, "You didn't kill Wally. He's still alive; he can still pull through. This is _not_ your fault."

"The _same_ freak accident?!" Barry moaned in disbelief. "It happened the exact same way, Hal. Stuff like that doesn't just happen by chance! I had to have done something. Maybe because I was there it attracted the lightning – I see lightning sometimes when I run. And then it just-"

"No," Hal said firmly, running his thumb along Barry's jaw and pressing their foreheads together. "You didn't do this. I need you to listen to me. Calm down, and then we're going in there to see Wally. How long have you been in the hallway?"

"I can't- I can't watch him die!" Barry shook his head brokenly, looking at Hal with terrified eyes. "He's my little boy. It's like Iris all over again! I can't do it."

"Yes you can," Hal assured him, needing to hear the words himself. "Wally is not gonna die. He's too strong for that. You're strong. Now, let's go, Wally needs us."

Barry didn't say anything. He just nodded and let Hal half-carry him back to the doors to Wally's room.

When he actually _saw_ Wally, Hal had to grip the doorframe to keep from reacting too much. He felt like crying.

Wally was lying on the bed with an IV in his arm and more monitors than Hal could count clustered around him. He was stripped down to a pair of shorts, and nearly every inch of exposed skin was burned. Sterile, white cloths covered the worst of the open wounds, but Hal could very clearly see the rest. Wally's arms, legs, and chest were mottled white and dark brown with dry, leathery looking skin limbed in red. His face was covered with a cloth, and the dents where big hunks of skin were missing were still visible. Nearly all of his vibrant red hair had been burned into scraggly black strands that were cropped close to the scalp in patches.

Barry immediately sped to the chair beside the bed and took Wally's hand – the one bit of him that wasn't scarred. Hal followed after Barry, stumbling over his deadened feet in shock. He dragged a chair over and sank down into it as hot tears stung his eyes. Hal wanted to reach out and touch Wally, but there wasn't any unburnt skin and he was afraid of hurting him. He barely even looked like Wally anymore.

"Is he in pain...?" was all he could think to ask.

"No," Barry croaked out. "His burns are all third-degree. The nerves are all gone."

Hal didn't feel relieved about that. All he could do was clasp his hands together, and look at Wally's burns, and worry about what kind of life he would have after this. Could he even _move_? Wally was such an active kid…if he had to live out the rest of his life in a bed… And how long would that life be?

Across from him, Barry wasn't doing any better. His whole body seemed to slump with depression, and his blue eyes were dull in despair. He kissed Wally's hand as fresh tears fell down his cheeks, and Hal just knew that he was twisting this horrible accident around to blame himself some more. Yes, he'd sworn vengeance on the person responsible, but this wasn't anyone's fault. Hal certainly wasn't going to condemn Barry for it.

"This wasn't your fault," he said again. Barry didn't believe him, but Hal had to make sure he said it over and over – at least until he remembered it.

Barry didn't answer. He just kept his head down like he was praying, but Hal could see the outline of his body shuddering with unconscious vibrations. He was in completely turmoil.

"Alright," Hal couldn't let it continue. "You need to talk."

"What?" Barry looked up in bleary confusion.

"Your brain works too fast for you to beating yourself up mentally like this. You need something else to focus on," Hal waved one arm around as he looked all over the room for inspiration. His eyes fell on the IV and he pointed at it. "Tell me what that's for. What is it giving him?"

Barry looked at the saline bag in a detached manner, like he was trying to decide whether or not to ignore Hal, "It's pumping him full of electrolytes… Really bad burns can mess up the body's balance. Wally's blood is really low on sodium right now, and that could make his brain swell and put him in a coma."

"Go on," Hal took a deep breath.

"There's also a real danger of dehydration…" Barry said mechanically. At least his shaking had stopped. It looked like spouting off facts was helping a bit after all. "And hypothermia. The wounds are leaking body heat, so J'onn and Mid-Nite put him on top of a warming pad."

He trailed off after that, jaw clenched tightly and fists balling up again. Hal sighed. It was a good try. He got up and carried his chair to the other side of the bed and planted it right beside Barry's. The speedster glanced over at him in confusion, and Hal just wrapped his arms around him. He combed his fingers through the hair on the back of Barry's head and tugged him closer. Barry leaned against him awkwardly over the wooden armrests and pressed his nose into the fabric of Hal's uniform, resting one hand on Hal's leg.

"I'm so sorry," Barry mumbled quietly.

Hal laid his cheek atop Barry's head and watched Wally sleeping, "You didn't do this."

"It was only for a second…"

"What?" Hal frowned curiously.

"I only disconnected from my powers for a second," Barry explained tiredly. "But I was right there. I should've been able to save him – knock him out of the way."

"Quiet…" Hal shushed him, running his thumb across Barry's shoulder soothingly. "You couldn't have known that _lightning_ would strike him."

Neither said very much after that. They just held each other and kept their vigil through the night. At some point, Hal noticed Barry's breathing evening out until he was asleep clutching Wally's limp hand. He was careful not to wake him as he tried his best to stay up. A few hours in, he realized he was nodding off when he lost concentration and his costume disappeared.

The last conscious thought he had was that he wished he'd gotten more sleep when he'd been imprisoned with John.

Hal slept through the rest of the night and early morning uninterrupted, only jerking awake when he heard a muffled clinking sound and a soft thud. He blinked his eyes and rubbed the dirt out of the corners, glancing down at the watch around his wrist as he stretched his neck. It was just past ten on Sunday morning. Hal yawned once and flexed his shoulders, feeling the stiff joints pop. Barry wasn't beside him. The second chair beside the empty hospital bed was vacant except for a small, folded up note.

Not really fully awake, Hal lifted the note and read Barry's neat handwriting to himself. The note said that Aquaman had wanted to talk to him about magical healing water that he could bring from Atlantis and that he'd be right back. Nothing mentioned anything about Wally.

He looked at the hospital bed again and blinked a few times slowly. The heating pad had been unplugged and the cord dangled over the side along with a towering heap of stained and bloody bandages.

But there was no Wally.

Hal shot to his feet in panic, knocking the chair back onto the floor behind him. He turned around in a frenzied circle, head whipping every which way looking around for Wally. The recovery room was pretty small, having been double purposed as an examination room as well, and it didn't take Hal long to spot the child perched atop one of the counters lining the walls. He had all the cabinet doors open and was rifling through the medical supplies curiously, holding up jars close to his face to read the labels and opening wrapped tools and swabs. He was still only wearing the same pair of shorts from last night, leaving the rest of his body exposed.

Hal's mouth hung open in shock as he took in the healed, unburnt skin of Wally's torso. Some of the patches were a light pink in contrast to the subtle tan Wally had always had from spending so much time outdoors. But Hal couldn't see any burns – not a single one. Wally absently brushed colorful orange hair out of his eyes and smiled down at his current discovery, completely oblivious to Hal's gaze.

"Wally!" Hal gasped in surprise. He didn't understand. He'd seen with his own eyes the burns covering Wally's whole body. Where had they all gone?!

At the sound of his name, Wally whipped around quickly and flashed him a big, toothy grin, "Hi, Pop!"

The movement overbalanced him, and Hal saw Wally's foot slip off the counter. He leapt forward and willed a soft, green catcher's mitt into existence right below the falling child. Wally landed on it with a startled 'oof', and it took him precisely half a second to realize what had saved him. His sparkling, open green eyes widened to comical size right at Hal and he scrambled to sit upright, "Pop? _You're_ Green Lantern?!"

Hal froze completely, feeling the green and black of his uniform cover his clothes once more. His brain felt like a really old computer trying to load too many things at once. Not content with sitting around, Wally hopped off the construct after thoroughly examining the transparent light and ran right up to him – moving so fast that Hal could only catch a blur of flesh tones. He jerked back in alarm, and that just made Wally's smile spread wider. He took a step back, and then all Hal could see of him was that same blur speeding around him in a circle, laughing disjointedly like the sound was being fed through a fan.

"Whoa! Slow down!" Hal said automatically, holding both hands up so he didn't bump into Wally on accident. Surprisingly, Wally stopped right away and nearly fell over from the momentum. Hal stooped down a bit and tugged Wally close, looking him all over for the burns that had taken up over half of his skin yesterday. The only evidence he could find was patches of brand new skin growing where the burns had been. Even his hair had returned to normal, though it was longer and messier than before.

Hal couldn't believe it. He curled one hand along the side of Wally's face and pushed the bright red strands back behind his ear, "Are you really okay?"

" _Pop_ ," Wally whined in a drawn out voice, squirming to get out of Hal's grasp in embarrassment. "I'm _fine_. Stop being all weird! Can we talk about the fact that you're _Green Lantern_ for a second?!"

He zipped across the room in the blink of an eye again, cleaning up the mess he'd made of the cabinets and chattering the whole time so rapidly that Hal couldn't make out a single word.

"Can we talk about why you're not burned to a crisp anymore?" Hal watched him dash around the room and ping pong off the walls. "Seriously! And I _do_ want to know how you're moving so fast – don't think I haven't noticed that – but I'm afraid to ask that one right now, so answer the burn question first, please."

"I don't know," Wally skidded to a stop suddenly, leaning over to look down at his hands and legs. He sounded genuinely confused about that too. "Wait. I got burned? Where?"

Hal's eyes bugged out incredulously and he cocked his head to the side, "Uh…everywhere. You don't remember?"

Wally chewed at his lip as he thought about it for a second, "I remember going to the police station with Dad…and then waking up here covered in all those gross bandages."

"There's nothing in there about getting struck by lightning?" Hal ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. He didn't understand a damn thing that was happening here.

"Uh-uh," Wally shook his head. He was fidgeting in place incessantly, and eventually gave in and started zipping around all over again. Nothing held his attention for more than a second before he was onto examining the next oddity in the room.

Hal didn't know how to process this, but the realization was oh so slowly creeping in. He'd only ever seen one other person heal that fast and that thoroughly before, and that was Barry – because of his accelerated healing factor. Barry's distraught words from last night rushed Hal's brain and started clamoring in his ears like pots and pans banging against each other.

 _The_ same _freak accident?! Stuff like that doesn't just happen by chance!_

"Oh my God!" Hal gripped fistfuls of his hair in both hands and gasped in horror. "You've got powers now… You're a speedster!"

Wally didn't even stop flickering around the room long enough to respond to him, or maybe he did and Hal just wasn't fast enough to understand him.

Hal had lost the contest…

There was no way he could beat Flash now.

He let his arms fall limply to his sides and threw his head back in agony, _"NOOOOOOOOOO!"_

Less than a second later, the door to the hospital room flew open accompanied by a gust of wind and a tall red blur, "What?! What happened?!"

Barry had heard his devastated yell and come running in thinking something had gone wrong with Wally. He froze when he spotted the empty bed, and his eyes darted to Hal and the deep frown he was shooting at him, and then they caught sight of Wally zooming around the room laughing his fool head off. He was still in the Flash costume with the cowl thrown back to reveal dark circles under his eyes and a face grey with worry and exhaustion. However, Hal saw his stooped posture jerk upright and his expression light up when Wally stopped dead in his tracks and gaped up at him with huge eyes.

"I knew it…" Wally breathed almost inaudibly. The shock lasted another second before he shook it off and started jumping up and down excitedly. " _I knew it! You're the Flash!_ "

Hal felt a little better about his own slow reaction as he watched Barry staring dumbstruck at their son until Wally dashed forward and hugged him around the waist. Even then, all he could do was stumble back to support the extra weight and go stiff in surprise.

Wally drew back a little to whip his head around to stare at Hal like he'd had a sudden revelation, "Both my dads are superheroes! This is…the _coolest_ thing ever!"

Hal actually cracked up at that, vaguely astounded that he could find anything about this funny. Barry appeared to be in his own world at that moment. He flung both arms around Wally in a bear hug and completely lost it. Hal heard the broken sobs of relief tear from Barry's throat, and he immediately went to him and hooked an arm around his back.

Wally went still and the smile left his face. He clearly didn't know what was wrong, but he tried to make his father stop crying, "It's okay, Dad. Now we can run really fast together!"

"I don't care," Barry mumbled in between short gasps for air. He buried his face in Wally's shoulder and gripped him tighter. "All I want is for you to be alive and unhurt."

"Um… _I_ care," Hal held up one hand jokingly. "Our ten year old has superpowers – _your_ superpowers, I think it's important to note. He was _supposed_ to grow up and join the Green Lantern Corps, not be another speed demon."

Barry didn't look up, but he flailed one arm blindly at Hal in a signal to shut up. Wally giggled from the confines of his dad's arms and shot Hal a grin, "I can still be both. Then I can fly around and do neat tricks in the air like when you took me up in the jet last time."

 _"What_?" Barry's head twisted back to fix Hal with an incensed glare. "What does he mean 'last time'? You swore you wouldn't put him in that plane again after the first time!"

Hal squirmed in place under the force of his boyfriend's fury, eyes darting around for an escape as he backed away, "Wally, we're gonna have to stop doing fun things if you're gonna tattle on me every time!"

Luckily, it didn't look like Barry was going to let go of Wally to chase him. Hal quickly danced over to the doorway and jerked his thumb at the hall behind him, "So…you two stay here. I'm gonna go let everyone know Wally's okay before we have half the Justice League breaking down the doors for an update. Knowing Clark and Diana, they haven't gone anywhere since last night."

Sharp as ever, Wally perked up like a dog and stared right at him, "The Justice League? Are Auntie Di and Uncle Clark superheroes too?!"

Hal cringed and let go of the doorframe before his convulsive death grip splintered it. He promptly walked back into the hospital room and shut the door behind him, "They can wait. I'm really not looking forward to Diana hitting me."


	17. Chapter 17

Wally rocketed past the makeshift finish line running full tilt. The buffeting winds he stirred up stripped the trees of their leaves, rattled the windows on the house, and blew Joan's floppy sunhat right off her head. Hal created a pair of light construct tongs and snagged the hat before it could get too far away.

Barry and Jay were running endless tests on Wally, trying to chart things like how fast he could go, if there was any strain on his body from the powers, how long he could run before tiring out, etc. It had been going on for two months, and Hal really hoped it would all be done soon. He understood the necessity of it just fine, but he really didn't like treating his kid like a lab rat. Wally thought the tests were great fun and treated them like games, but that could only last for so long.

They'd originally wanted to bring him to Gotham for a full analysis, but before they even got to ask, Bruce went radio silent to everyone but Clark. The only explanation Clark had been able to give was that Bruce ha closed off Gotham to all Leaguers and taken himself off the active duty roster for awhile. He didn't know why or what had happened, but at least Bruce took his calls. J'onn, Diana, Arthur, and Barry were all getting ignored completely whenever they tried the JLA communicator _or_ Wayne Manor. Hal imagined that Bruce's butler Alfred was having heart palpitations from 'Master Wayne's rudeness.

Barry was worried about him, but Hal just figured the Bat was working on some super secret project that he didn't want anyone knowing about. It was typical Bruce; he didn't know why people were so surprised.

Hal willed the hat over and handed it to Joan, who gave him that sweet smile and tucked it safely in the arm of her recliner, "Oh, thank you, dear."

"Yup," Hal leaned back in the lawn chair and knocked back a glass of Joan's lemonade. They were both lounging in the backyard watching Wally run through his daily speed trials. Hal didn't know when exactly it happened for sure, but Joan and Jay had adopted him into their family as well. They looked after him the same way they did Barry and Wally.

Jay and Barry were studying a radar gun that Barry had borrowed from work, pointing and arguing at the results with wide smiles on their faces. Wally took a few extra steps to slow down on his way back to the house, and he flashed a brilliant grin at Hal and Joan, "Did you see that, Pop?!"

"Hell yeah I did," Hal matched his grin and held out a hand for him to high-five. "How fast was that?"

"Um…hold on," Wally zipped back over to Jay and Barry, yanking on their elbows and pushing them apart to get a glimpse of the numbers on the speed gun. Then he was right back beside Hal, wind swirling around his mop of red hair that they'd never gotten around to cutting. " _Two hundred_ miles per hour!"

Hal forced the smile to stay on his face as his gut twisted nervously. He reached out and pulled Wally close for a hug, "That's awesome!"

Wally couldn't have looked happier. He flickered over to Joan, who handed him a plate of cookies and poured him a glass of lemonade. She'd taken on the role of making sure Wally was well fed during these exercises.

The wooden grin fell a little from Hal's face as he did the math in his head. That was twenty-five miles an hour faster than the last time, and it had been only three days ago. Wally was getting faster and faster every day. It worried Hal to think about how fast he'd be in a couple years. He was already showing signs of increased appetite, becoming detached from the normal passage of time for brief moments – although Barry was working with him on that; he was an expert now on staying out of relative time – and accelerated healing. Wally was healthy and safe for now, but what about five years down the road?

Hal wanted more answers. When he and Barry went to interrogate Weather Wizard on the storm they thought he'd created, they found that he'd still been incarcerated in Iron Heights at the time that Wally was struck by lightning. It would've been impossible for him to conjure the bizarre storm with his powers muted by an inhibitor collar. So, they still had no idea where the freak storm had come from. Neither he nor Barry would say it out loud, but it appeared that the storm had shown up out of the blue _just_ to hit Wally with lightning and then vanish without a trace. But that would be crazy…

No matter how much Hal worried, or whatever new development cropped up with Wally's powers though, the kid always adapted within a day or two. It was honestly like Wally was _made_ to be a speedster. He reveled in the power and freedom with an ease that Hal had never seen before. Watching him run around every day completely ecstatic made it impossible to worry for too long.

"Babe!" Hal called to Barry from across the yard. "Are we done for the day? You three have been at this for hours."

"Yeah," Barry slung the radar gun over his shoulder and sped up to the porch in the blink of an eye. He'd been running with Wally for most of the tests, and Hal could see a thin layer of sweat clinging to his skin. Barry combed his hair back with his fingers and leaned against Hal's chair, grinning tiredly. "And Jay and I both think that we're actually done with the tests."

"Really? All of them?" Hal hopped up excitedly. He was anxious to get back to their 'normal' lives.

"Uh huh," Barry happily reported. "We got all the info we needed, and Wally's got all the training he needs to control his powers in front of other people now. He can go back to school on Monday."

"That's good. I know he's been missing his friends," Hal sighed in relief. The sun was low in the sky, barely peeking through the thick forest leading to the national park. Joan shepherded them all inside and ordered everyone to sit down and eat. She and Jay had filled a whole slow cooker with barbeque and hauled it with them, much to the delight of everyone. Barry and Wally were just happy for the food, but Hal loved imagining Jay running across the Missouri River with a giant crock pot in his arms.

As was typical lately, Wally shoveled down four plates of food with ease and gave no protest when Joan surrendered an entire cobbler to him. He did spend a good three hours using his powers almost nonstop though. Hal supposed he'd better get used to using the 'He's a growing boy' excuse if anyone ever said anything about his son's appetite.

Joan and Jay hung around a bit longer to talk and visit until eight, and then they took off for the night back to Keystone with promises to come by often even though weekly training was over. Hal used his ring constructs to clear the table and dump all the plates in the sink so he could do the dishes. As he was elbow deep in suds scrubbing a cartoon character dinner plate while Wally showed off everything he'd learned today, a wry grin stretched Hal's lips. He used to use his ring mainly for combat, and now he used it for chores. His twenty-five year old self would be appalled at how domestic he'd become.

In the dining room, Wally rotated one arm and created a funnel of wind like Hal had seen Barry do so many times before, completely blasting all loose items off the coffee table in front of the couch. Overjoyed at his new skills, he raced into the living room and picked up the mess he'd made just to set it up and blow it all away again. Hal smiled as he set the rinsed dishes on the drying rack. He felt an arm slip around his waist from behind and turned his head slightly to see Barry settle his chin on Hal's shoulder. Hal acknowledged him with a slight laugh and shivered when Barry stole a quick kiss before taking over the rinsing basin.

Of course, Hal was thirty-two now, and he knew there were some people worth being domesticated for.

Hal heard a giggle, and they both looked over to see Wally watching them with a smile and his chin propped up on his arms. Barry shot a short jet of water at him with the sink sprayer, making him yelp and duck for cover, "What?"

"Nothin. You two are just being gross," Wally chanced a peek and stuck his tongue out at them playfully.

"You think _that_ was gross?" Hal asked like it was a challenge. He dropped the knife he was washing and grabbed Barry instead, dipping him low and dramatic and kissing him in full view of Wally. Barry held onto his arms for support and laughed against his lips.

They could hear Wally stage gagging beside them. Hal pulled Barry back up and shot a satisfied grin over at Wally, who was still pretending to shudder and puke. He was in that stage now where kissing was 'gross' because all his friends at school thought it was. Hal remembered going through that as well when he was that age. He used to push his mom and dad apart whenever they got lovey dovey around him.

No matter what Wally said though, Hal knew he liked seeing his own parents being affectionate with each other.

Barry swiped a thumb across the corner of his mouth contently, "Just wait until you find someone at school _you_ wanna kiss."

"Urgh. No _way_ ," Wally vigorously shook his head. Hal and Barry rolled their eyes knowingly and went back to finishing up the dishes. "So, when are you going to let me go out on patrol with you?"

Barry was so startled that a dish slipped out of his hands. He fumbled to catch it and sent Wally a look of confusion, "What do you mean? Like-?"

"As your sidekick," Wally told him like it was obvious.

"Um, that's not going to happen," Hal answered for Barry, because it looked like he was trying to comprehend the idea of his son actually fighting criminals. They'd had this discussion several times in the first month after Wally got his powers, but Hal thought they'd made it very clear to him. Having powers didn't mean he could be a superhero.

"But…" Wally frowned, equally confused. "You're been training me all this time."

"So that you can control your powers," Barry recovered enough to speak. "Oh geez, it wasn't so you could be a _hero_."

"But why not?" Wally was getting upset now. "What else am I gonna do?"

"You're going to be a _kid_. Wake up, go to school, eat junk food, slack off on your chores, and _not_ get yourself killed fighting the Rogues," Barry had raised his voice just a bit – not enough that he was shouting, but enough to let Wally know he wasn't playing around. Hal fell silent and watched them, turning off the faucet and cautiously drying his hands.

"But I _want_ to fight bad guys," Wally slapped both hands on the counter and leaned forward, his face heating up as he argued. "You and Pop both do it, and you're the best! I want to be like you guys. Why don't you want me to be your sidekick?"

"There are a million reasons!" Barry shook his head like it was obvious, looking around in disbelief. Hal gave him a firm nod of support when Barry's eyes met his own. "You're a _child_. The Rogues are more dangerous now than ever before. They _kill_ now. I'd rather cut off my legs than put you in danger. The-"

Hal held out a hand and cut him off before his tirade got too out of hand. Wally was already glaring at them tearfully, fist balled up on the counter and lip trembling in anger. "Wally, think about it. You know that Uncle Ollie is Green Arrow. Don't you remember when he let Roy fight with him as Speedy? You heard what everyone on the news was saying about it, and now you know that was the reason why your dad and I stopped talking to him. If we were so mad at him for putting Roy in danger like that, why would you think we'd be on board with doing the same to _you_?"

Barry had a couple seconds to calm down, and he looked like he was much better. He reached out to lay a hand atop one of Wally's fists, but the redhead yanked them back petulantly, "Wally, we almost lost you just two months ago."

His voice was softer and more pleading. Wally stared defiantly down at his feet and refused to meet his gaze. Barry continued speaking anyway, "If I was _ever_ going to let you be my sidekick, now would be the _worst_ time to ask me. I don't ever want to see you hurt that badly ever again, and the thought of you facing any one of the Rogues _terrifies_ me. I'll teach you how to use your powers, but don't ever ask me to take you out on patrol again. Okay?"

Hal chewed at the inside of his lip, waiting for Wally to respond. Frustrated tears were filling his green eyes and dropping to floor with soft plops. He hated seeing Wally so upset, but he was one hundred percent with Barry on this one, "We both love you more than anything. That's why we're-"

Wally suddenly bolted out of the room. Hal missed the movement completely, but Barry made to follow him until they heard the door to his room slam shut. Barry hung in the doorway to the living room for a moment, heaving a great sigh and rubbing his forehead like he was warding off a migraine. Hal stared at his back sympathetically, "You okay?"

"I'm gonna go talk to him," Barry shook his head miserably, taking a step out of the kitchen. Hal jogged over to catch his arm, pulling him back gently.

"Give him a few minutes to calm down first," he suggested, running his hands up and down Barry's arms to soothe him. "He's angry, and he's not going to listen to anything right now."

"….Yeah. Okay," Barry's shoulders sagged, making him look older than he was. He let Hal guide him to the couch and pull his feet into his lap.

Hal's skilled fingers went to work massaging the speedster's feet, doing everything he could to get him to relax, "We're doing the right thing."

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The door slammed shut behind Wally with enough force to knock a few of his souvenirs off their shelves. He let them fall and flopped down on his bed, grabbing a pillow to shove under his chin and bury his face into. Hot tears stained the fabric and muffled the sounds of his sniffling.

It wasn't _fair_.

Dad and Pop were the coolest superheroes ever. Why did _they_ get to fight, but _he_ didn't just because he was too little? Wally was faster than any of the Rogues in Central City. He just _knew_ if he tried hard enough, they'd never be able to hit him. Why didn't his parents think he could do it?

Wally hiccupped as he cried, shifting onto his side and turning his face so he could breathe.

They didn't understand. Before, Wally had only fantasized about being a hero and fighting alongside Flash. Now that he'd been given these powers, there was just this irresistible _pull_ to help. Wally couldn't imagine doing anything else. It was like destiny – especially with who his dads were.

He wiped his eyes on his arm and reached for the phone resting on the bedside table. Wally knew _one_ person who would know what he was feeling. His fingers danced over the numbers, dialing Roy's cell phone that he knew by heart.

He missed not getting to see his friend as often as they used to. At least now he knew why Dad and Uncle Ollie were so tense around each other. Pop had refused to even walk up to the mansion when he brought Wally to Star City. No one would ever tell him why. When he asked Uncle Ollie what was going on, he'd just give a fake smile like he wasn't sad and say that Pop was probably just constipated. Whatever that meant.

"Yeah?" Roy answered casually.

"Hey Roy," Wally cleared his throat a few times, forgetting that he'd been crying and sounded like a frog.

He should've known Roy would hear it anyway, "Wally? What is it?"

"Nothing," he said quickly – a little too quickly and putting some of his powers into it. "I just wanted to talk."

"You sure? You don't sound right."

Wally took a few deep breaths and tried to clear his throat again, "Uncle Ollie told you that I got powers, right?"

There was a long pause on the other end, and then Roy said, "Yeah. He went to see you the night you got hurt… He told me I should give you time to adjust before talking to you about it. But I _wanted_ to call. Is that what's wrong? Are you having a hard time getting used to the powers?"

"No! No way! Superspeed is _great_!" Wally perked up instantly, sitting up and swinging his legs back and forth over the side of the bed. "I gotta show you once Dad lets me run outside of the backyard."

He remembered with sobering clarity why he'd called in the first place, pressing the phone closer to his ear, "I… How did you get Uncle Ollie to let you be Speedy?"

"It took _forever_ ," Roy told him in exasperation. "Like two years. He kept stalling and saying I had to train more, but then he knew I was ready and he didn't have any more excuses."

"What did you do?" Wally listened intently.

"I got _mad!_ " Roy laughed. "I think Ollie really only let me patrol with him because he was afraid I'd sneak out and do it by myself."

"Would you have?"

"I was thinking about it," Roy admitted fairly easily. "I don't know if I would've actually gone through with it though. Why do you wanna know?"

Wally swallowed the lump in his throat and decided to just tell him, "I want to be a sidekick too."

"Really? That's awesome!" he could hear the excitement in Roy's voice. "When are you going on patrol? I'll keep the Central news on."

"Dad and Pop won't let me," Wally sighed angrily. "They say it's too dangerous."

He heard Roy go 'hmm', and he went silent like he was thinking hard, "It _is_ pretty dangerous – and a little scary at first, but I think you can handle it. I mean, you have super powers now. Why _wouldn't_ they let you be a sidekick?"

"I don't know," Wally flopped onto his back and glared up at the ceiling. "Ask _them_."

"Why don't you show them?"

He froze, "What?"

"Show them that it's not too dangerous for you. Do what Ollie was afraid I would do and go on a patrol by yourself," Roy explained flippantly. "If you stop a few bad guys, they'll have to believe you can do it."

An uncertain smile spread across Wally's face, "You think I should?"

"Why not? Go pick out some small fry," Roy encouraged with a carefree laugh. "Just call me when you get back and tell me how it goes, okay?"

"Okay," he sat up quickly, grinning wide now. Confidence thrummed in his veins, and he hopped off the bed with renewed purpose. "Thanks, Roy. I'll talk to you later."

"Good luck, Squirt. Remember to wear a mask," Roy gave him one parting bit of advice before hanging up the phone. Wally clicked the off button and returned the phone to its cradle.

For a long minute, he just stood in the middle of his room thinking about what to do next. He needed a mask, but where the heck was he going to get one? Wally zipped to his bedroom door and held his breath as he listened. He could hear Pop talking in a low voice downstairs punctuated by Dad answering him. Wally couldn't make out what they were saying, but it sounded like they were in the living room. He carefully cracked open the door and peeked out into the hallway, squeezing through the narrow portal and dropping to his hands and knees on the hardwood floor. Wally crept to the top of the stairs, sticking close to the wall, and risked a quick look downstairs.

He could see Pop's legs resting against the couch and one of Dad's feet on Pop's knees. They wouldn't be moving any time soon.

Wally crawled back down the hall and snuck into his parents' room. He pulled open the top dresser drawer and felt around for the clasp that opened the hidden compartment housing Dad's costume rings. He pulled out one of the many spare rings and clutched it close to his chest, feeling his heart hammering away like machine gun fire.

He'd never really disobeyed his dads like this before. They were going to be so mad…but Wally had to do it. If they weren't going to listen to him, he had to make them.

He flicked the catch on the ring, and his Dad's Flash costume came shooting out. Wally used his powers and changed into the bright red uniform. It fit well enough until he tried tugging the mask over his face. The eyeholes sagged just a bit too low, and the lightning bolts that covered his ears hung lopsided. Dismayed, he pulled the mask back and forth, knowing there was no way it would stay put if he was running around. Wally threw the cowl back and bit his lip. There was no point in the costume if people could see his face… He needed to find something else that would work.

Wally looked all around the dark room, brain working overdrive to come up with a solution. Then he spotted the sleeve of Pop's flight jacket poking out of the closet. Looped around the hanger hook was a pair of old World War II aviator goggles that Grandpa Jay gave Pop for Christmas last year. Wally almost cheered aloud as he snatched the goggles from the hanger and snapped them over his eyes. The frames were huge, but the strap held them snug over his face. He dashed to the mirror and turned his head left and right, satisfied that a stranger wouldn't be able to see the majority of his features.

Alright, the next thing he needed was shoes. There was no way Dad's boots were going to fit, and he couldn't run barefoot. Wally hurried back to his bedroom and shut the door behind him, digging through his closet for anything that would work. The only thing sturdy enough were the running sneakers he'd trained in today. They were old and needed to be replaced, but they were better than nothing.

With his nerves twitching and anticipation coiling in his stomach, Wally laced up his running shoes and took a deep breath. He was ready. He grabbed a pair of scissors and cut off the cowl so it wouldn't flap around in the wind and slow him down. Dad had plenty of spare costumes; if ruining one was the thing he got angriest about tonight, Wally would be relieved.

He took another deep breath, walking to his window and lifting the glass. It was now or never.

Wally removed the screen from the window and climbed onto the roof. He shut it behind him, leaving a small crack wide enough for him to fit his fingers under later. He carefully climbed to the edge of the roof and swung over the edge, fumbling until his feet touched the porch railing below. It was dark out now, the only light coming from the stars and moon, but Wally managed to balance his weight on the railing and land safely on the grass.

Adrenaline was racing through his system, bringing a wild grin to Wally's face. He was actually doing this!

A quick peek through the window showed both his parents still sitting on the couch in the living room. Wally felt a pang of guilt momentarily when he saw Dad with his head tilted back and hands covering his face unhappily. Pop was saying something to him while massaging his feet, but it didn't look like it was doing any good. Wally felt awful for upsetting his dad, but he wasn't giving up. He was _going_ to help people and fight evil. Nothing was going to stop him.

He tore off across the yard, dodging the windows so he didn't get caught, and headed for the city. It was late, but downtown was sure to be busy still on a Saturday night. Wally didn't really have any clue where to start, so he headed for the places he knew best: the Brighton Commons, Central City Stadium where Dad had taken him to see the Cougars play, and all his favorite restaurants throughout Petersburg. Nothing really jumped out at him at first. He spent the first few minutes running between the cars clogging the streets and grinning like a fool at everyone who seemed to be moving in slow motion all around him. Dad had explained that they weren't going slow; _he_ was just moving so fast that the rest of the world appeared to be standing still.

Then, he spotted a man in the crowd stretching out an arm with a look of dismay sluggishly twisting his expression. Wally scanned the crowd around him and saw another man dressed all in black with a grey beanie running the opposite direction with a stolen wallet clutched in his hand. Gritting his teeth, Wally darted up to the thief and snatched the wallet away from him. He circled back around through the pedestrians and returned the wallet to its owner, manually closing his fingers around the leather. Wally ducked around the corner and slowed down enough to let his perceptions view the world normally again.

The thief stumbled suddenly, staring at his empty hand in confusion and checking the ground before running off again. Wally grinned to himself and turned his attention to the man who'd been stolen from. He fumbled the wallet and nearly fell over in surprise. Wally watched him freak out and try to figure out what just happened. A few heads turned to look at Wally, but he was gone again before any of the bystanders could make out his blurry outline.

The skyscrapers and high rises loomed above Wally like trees as he ran through the city's grid-like layout of streets and plazas. He was keeping an eye out for trouble, but nothing seemed to be jumping out at him. Several seconds later, there was a stray dog that he scooped up and saved from being hit by a car. Two muggers in an alley made Wally glad that Pop had taught him how to throw a punch. They were both on the ground and their intended victim had been whisked four blocks away at superspeed before anyone had time to register the gust of wind that Wally whipped up as he ran.

He was doing well, but none of it would be enough to keep his dads from grounding him for life when he went back home. Wally needed something _big_ to prove himself like a fire, or a robbery, or natural disaster. He really hadn't planned this out at all, but he was feeling on top of the world right now and bolstered by the fact that Roy believed in him.

Another five minutes passed by like an hour for Wally as he frantically searched the city for trouble. He was just beginning to lose hope while patrolling the heart of downtown when a small flash of light caught his eye. Wally slowed to a jog, eyes narrowed and straining behind Pop's goggles to see in the dark. The light had come from the Weisman Storage yard and kept radiating up into the air in thin waves. If he didn't have his powers, Wally wouldn't be able to even see the lightning fast flickers of light.

He zipped to the entrance of the storage yard, close enough to the river to hear the water steadily rushing by and the barges passing each other under the Keystone Bridge. It was past closing time, so the front office lights were all off, and a traffic bar had been lowered across the parking lot access. Wally ducked underneath it and followed the arcing waves to the center of the yard. He passed long rows of storage units, all locked with the roll down doors secured, and was starting to feel foolish being on high alert. It didn't look like anything was wrong, but his curiosity _had_ to know what was making that light.

He was nearing the back of the yard where they stacked the long, mobile pods when he heard a low, warping hum that raised the hair on the back of his neck. Wally instinctively dropped low and inched to the end of the row, carefully peering around the corner where the hum was loudest. It was difficult to make anything out in the dark, but there was definitely a small tornado spinning low to the ground in the middle of several storage units.

It was much quieter than Wally expected, and the tornado was only about six feet tall. As it swayed almost gently back and forth, thin waves of bright yellow light were thrown outwards from the vortex. The flashes appeared random, but nearly every wave splashed into the storage crates surrounding it.

Wally stayed very still and tried to speed up his perceptions without running just like Dad had taught him. It took a second, but Wally saw the tornado slow down enough for him to make out the figure of a man spinning within. Shock made him lose concentration, and Wally hid back behind the container before he was spotted.

That was the _Top_. Wally had seen every single one of his dad's Rogues on TV, and he knew all their powers. Dad told him that the Top used to be a two-bit criminal before the accident that turned the Rogues all into Metahumans. He'd used trick tops to fight with back then – when Wally was too young to remember. All he'd ever known the Top to be was a vicious killer who would level city blocks when he fought. Pop called him a terrorist – said he didn't operate like the rest of the Rogues.

Wally didn't know what a terrorist was, but he certainly knew what Top was capable of.

He could spin at high speeds that could almost keep up with Flash, but with an added side effect. When he turned, kinetic energy would slough off him in waves and absorb into whatever they touched, charging the object into a bomb. Top was so skilled that he could aim the waves and control the exact second and blast radius of detonation by measuring how much he charged the object – or _person_. Dad said that Top had always had a whole arsenal of bombs on him before, and when the accident fused the Rogues' with their weapons, that carried over as well.

Wally swallowed nervously. Dad had given him strict orders to tell him if he ever saw one of the Rogues, and to _run and hide_ if it was Top. Wally had never questioned the order before, and even now he backed up the way he'd come a few steps. This was too much for him. He needed to call Dad and Pop, no matter how much trouble he'd get into.

But – he couldn't help thinking – how cool would it be if he beat _the Top_? Dad would _have_ to recognize Wally's potential then.

And, how hard would it be? Yeah, Top was dangerous, but Dad had fought him and won countless times. Wally had the same superspeed now. If he was extra careful, Top wouldn't be able to touch him.

He felt a small nugget of confidence growing steadily as his heart thudded in his chest. Wally took a deep breath and chanced another look.

Top was still whirling in a small tornado, throwing energy into the pulsing storage units.

Wally had the element of surprise. He was fast enough to go in without being seen – and he _had_ to do something. Every single one of those huge storage containers were being charged into bombs. Wally couldn't let them get worse, but he was really scared of going up against Top.

He _should_ run home and warn his dads. But, Roy's voice filled his head and steeled his resolve.

_"If you stop a few bad guys, they'll have to believe you can do it."_

_"Show them that it's not too dangerous for you."_

Wally bounced on his knees with antsy, anxious energy. He watched Top spin and sped up his perceptions to match, found a pattern and an opening, pressed his goggles tighter over his eyes, and _ran_.

Wally rocketed straight for Top, ducking under a blade of shimmering light and slamming his shoulder into the villain's back. Top bent backwards at an unnatural angle, tipping over and hitting the ground _hard_ in a roll. Wally pinwheeled his arms as dust was kicked up in great clouds, trying not to overbalance from his momentum and sudden stop. The Top cried out in a gruff gasp, blinded for the moment. Blades of light went every which way as he rolled into the side of a metal container.

Wally took the opening and ran to hide again. His heart jack hammered with a mix of terror and adrenaline, and he crouched out of sight with both hands clamped over his mouth. Hysterical breathing nearly made him pass out, but Wally pressed his head between his knees and forced himself to calm down.

On the other side of his hiding place, the clearing had gone eerily quiet with the absence of that low, warping hum.

"What the hell…?" Wally heard Top say with anger and confusion. He risked another peek and saw the villain getting to his feet unsteadily. His head turned back and forth, sharp features scanning the area like a predator. "Who's there?!"

Wally silently coaxed his body to move again before he lost his nerve. Surprise wouldn't be his advantage forever. Wally darted out again from a different angle this time and hit Top in the side with a flurry of punches. They didn't really have any weight behind them, only momentum, but they did the job. Wally desperately wished he wasn't so skinny.

Once again, Top collapsed to his knees, and Wally took his cue to leave.

He was almost back out of sight when his toe caught a divot in the ground and sent him sprawling face first into the dirt. Wally flopped over with a gasp, spitting out a mouthful of dust and sand and coughing in pain. _Ow, ow, ow!_ He wanted to lay still – _should have_ stayed still – but a slowed, furious growl made him fling himself to the side right before the ground shook with impact where he'd just been. Wally crab crawled across the ground, frantically rubbing dirt from his goggles as he dragged himself back. He needed to _hurry_ and get up no matter how much it hurt, before –

A hand grabbed the front of the Flash costume and roughly yanked Wally up off his feet. He clawed at the fingers around his throat and stared through grimy lenses into the Top's uncovered face. His short brown hair was sticking up, wind-tousled, and Wally could just barely see his eyes behind the black domino mask from this close up. He couldn't place what it was exactly, but everything about the Top made him seem unhinged.

"Who the fuck are _you_?" Top cocked one eyebrow darkly. He tilted his head slightly to the side and the corners of his mouth tipped downwards. "Some kind of thrift store baby Flash?"

Wally was too petrified to be offended.

"What are you – _five_?" Top reached up with his other hand to pluck off Wally's goggles, looking completely self-assured and relaxed knowing his assailant was a child.

In a blind panic, Wally flinched back and swung his elbow up on reflex, cracking it into Top's nose. Warm, wet blood gushed over the sleeve of Wally's costume, and he was released to hit the ground in a heap. Breathing in shallow, erratic gasps, Wally put as much distance between them as he could before his knees gave out. He was shaking and crouching with one hand clamped firmly on the goggles still covering his eyes. That had been close. Top had almost gotten the flight goggles off.

Frantic impulse forced him to his feet and around to face Top several yards away. Wally sucked in a shuddering breath and lifted his chin defiantly, "I'm _ten_!"

Top struggled back to his feet as well, trying to stem the flow of blood from his broken nose. He glared murderously at Wally from behind the white lenses of his mask, "You little _brat!_ Do you even know what you did?!"

Wally wanted to shoot back with a clever insult, but it was taking all his strength to _not_ turn into a puddle of jelly. He'd messed up. This was a mistake – a big one.

"I was charging these to detonate in a few _hours_ before you interrupted me," Top snarled, pointing one finger like a claw at the stacked up pods. "Now there isn't even time to get away!"

"Good!" Wally snapped shakily. He didn't really know what Top was talking about, but he figured it was a good thing if he didn't escape, right…?

"You idiotic _dolt_!" Top seethed, taking one menacing step forward. Wally skittered back, feeling his face heat in embarrassment. "I was going to ransom the whole damn _state_ , and now I don't even have enough time to get out of the _city_!"

Wally's fear doubled, and he looked at the units warily, "Is there any way to stop it?"

He felt exactly like what he was: a kid playing hero.

"Not anymore," Top flexed his shoulders to limber up. He spun around, whipping into a whirlwind and picking up speed. Wally ran for the entrance of the storage yard, hoping to get some more distance from the Metacriminal chasing him, but he suddenly slowed and remembered everything his dads had ever said about innocent people getting dragged into fights. There was no one else in the yard, so he had to keep Top _here_ so that nothing else got destroyed.

And he had to figure out what to do about those bombs.

The hesitation cost him dearly. One of the energy blades caught up to him and soared overhead. The shining light splashed into one of the roll down doors in the row of units. Immediately, it burst outwards in hundreds of white-hot metal shards. Wally contorted his body to dodge the shards, chest heaving like a hummingbird's.

He whimpered a little when Top grinned inside the twister, aiming another blade at him head on. Wally ducked under that one as well, but failed to notice the classic, rusted truck parted right beside the unit at his back – less than a foot away. The energy sliced into the cab, inciting it to combust instantly.

One of the doors flew off and slammed right between Wally's shoulder blades. It violently threw him onto his stomach, knocking the wind right out of his lungs. Wally's arm got trapped beneath him when he tried to catch himself, and he couldn't move for a few agonizingly long seconds. His whole body throbbed in agony and he could barely think through the dizziness washing over him.

He craned his neck to see Top coming at him fast – almost right over him now. Wally was still too rattled from the hit, and his senses were all jumbled up. He couldn't access his speed, and that low hum was in his ears again. Top was just a tornado, flinging waves of explosive energy directly at him. Wally moved to cover his face, all his muscles tensed, and he held his breath with eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the blow to come.

Instead, the ground shook like an earthquake, and blinding green light shone through Wally's closed lids. He cracked his eyes open in surprise, and then pushed himself upright when he saw the glowing emerald dome that had been dropped over him like a shield. Top's energy waves crashed harmlessly against the rock solid light construct and faded into nothingness.

Wally saw Top's tornado waver a bit right before a streaking blur of red slammed into him out of nowhere. The resulting crash and shriek of twisted metal off to the side happened too fast for Wally to process in his disoriented state. All he could manage to do was look up at the ceiling of the dome with his mouth hanging open.

On the other side of the see through construct, Green Lantern – _Pop_ – was hovering against the night sky with one fist pointing at the shield. Wally saw him fly down to the ground fluidly, and the construct disappeared back into the ring with an otherworldly sound.

"Are you hurt?" Pop's voice was very tight and weird sounding. He knelt beside Wally and laid a feather-light palm on his back. Wally flinched as sharp pain stabbed up and down his spine. Pop's expression went very blank, and he held his Lantern ring over Wally. "Okay, hold still. I'm going to check you over for injuries."

As he worked, Wally tried his best not to move, but the sounds of combat to his right kept drawing his attention. He was still too disoriented to see very well, only catching whorls of blurry color whipping around the clearing.

The red blur moved much faster. Wally could only keep up with his movements when he slowed for an instant to throw his whole weight into a punch. Dad switched directions on a dime and ran counter to Top's rotations. Wally saw him grab Top's arm by the bicep and jerk him to a halt with it. There was a loud popping sound when the shoulder dislocated mixed with a garbled cry when Dad turned on his heel and flipped Top over his head, slamming him into the dirt. Pop didn't react, but Wally flinched deeply at the dark fury in Dad's normally happy face.

Top tried to feebly roll over, but Dad socked him in the jaw, and the villain fell limp against the ground. Wally cautiously rose to his knees, his back throbbing, and looked at his dad with wide eyes.

" _You_ ," Dad whirled on him suddenly, his voice deep and angry. "Stay right there."

Wally nodded frantically, blood draining from his face, "Y-Yes sir…"

He focused his attention back on the downed villain then, satisfied that Wally wasn't going anywhere. Dad was gone for a second, returning with a length of rope from one of the busted open storage units and getting to work hogtying Top.

"Flash."

They both turned to see Pop standing in the ring of pulsing storage pods, ring out and scanning the metal with a wide beam of green light. The pulsing energy must've caught his attention. Wally hadn't noticed when he finished chucking him over for injuries. "These containers are about to go nuclear. We've got _minutes_."

"Can we put them in the river?" Dad flickered over to stand beside him, studying the metal pods intently. As scared as Wally was, he couldn't help feeling in awe seeing his dads standing together in full uniform.

"Not unless you want Central and Keystone to become the next Hiroshima and Nagasaki," Pop shook his head grimly. Wally didn't understand, but figured it must be really bad from the look Dad exchanged with him. "Together these things are gonna equal an atomic bomb. I'm going to need to tow them out into space."

High up above them, Wally heard a fragmenting chopping noise. A bright, blue-white spotlight swept over the storage yard, and he could see one of the sleek news helicopters steadily hovering closer. He quickly turned his face down, feeling awful. If a camera spotted him, he'd be plastered all over the news.

"Be careful," Dad nodded in agreement to the plan, stepping back to give Pop room to work.

Normally, Pop would've responded with something cheeky or flippant, but he just nodded and grit his teeth in concentration. The Lantern ring flared brighter and materialized several crane constructs that strapped around the storage units and lifted all twelve into the air. Metal groaned and creaked in protest as Pop flew them up to the night sky in front of him. Wally tracked the glow with his eyes as long as he could until the green was barely a pinprick amongst the stars.

He and Dad stayed silent, both watching anxiously as the tense waiting stretched out. Then, a flash of light exploded in front of the Hercules constellation and ballooned out to encompass half of the starry pattern. Everything was so dark and far away that Wally couldn't tell where the explosion actually was in space. Had Pop made it clear?

"GL, are you alright?" Dad pressed the lightning bolt on his cowl. They both waited in breathless silence until ally saw the line of Dad's shoulders relax a little. "Good. Head back, and I'll run Top in to custody."

Wally was still watching the distant plumes of flame fizzle out against the field of black when he saw Dad turn to look at him out of the corner of his eye. Jolted by the reminder of how much trouble he was in, Wally shrank back with a sharp intake of air. Dad was staring at him with a look of such heavy disappointment that Wally felt his chest clench in response. He dropped his head in shame, feeling tears prickle in his eyes.

Neither moved from their positions until they saw Pop's outline approaching, not even when the helicopter found them standing in the middle of the wreckage. When Pop touched back down, completely unhurt, Wally had to stop himself from running up to hug him. The news crew was watching and probably filming them right now.

"Take him home," Dad gestured at Wally tersely before zipping over to Top and hefting his unconscious body onto one shoulder. "I'll be right there after I get Roscoe booked and processed."

"You got it," Pop nodded easily. Dad disappeared with the Top in a rush of wind, and Wally kept his gaze low until a small, green platform suddenly spread out before him. "Come on, kid."

Wally sniffed and stepped onto the platform, adjusting his balance when they began to fly off in the direction of Englewood. The night wind pulled at his hair, but did nothing for the heat in his face. Wally felt stupid standing in his makeshift costume with Pop soaring beside him decked out in his impressive Green Lantern uniform. _He_ was a real hero…

They managed to shake off the helicopter easily and land in the thick forest behind their home. Pop powered down his ring, letting the darkness rush back in around them. The crickets started chirping again, filling the awkward silence and making it seem to stretch longer.

Wally had to break it. He scuffed his toe in the long grass, dragging his feet as they headed for the house together, "Thank you…for protecting me."

Pop didn't say anything back. He just curled an arm around Wally's shoulders and kissed the top of his head. Wally wound both arms around his dad, almost desperate for comfort, and tried really hard not to cry. He couldn't believe he'd snuck out and done something so dangerous.

"How'd you know I was in trouble?" he asked solemnly.

"Ollie called," Pop answered in a weird voice, like his throat was too dry and sticking. "He warned us that Roy might've inspired you to do something stupid. We checked your room, and when we couldn't find you, we had a pretty good idea what you were doing."

"I'm sorry…" Wally whispered miserably.

"You're going to want to save your apologies for Dad," Pop opened the back door for him and ushered him inside. The lights were all still on in the living room, and the phone was lying on the floor with the battery cover broken off like someone had dropped it in alarm. Heavy guilt weighed Wally down as he trudged along. Pop sighed loudly, sounding tired and frustrated. "Go on upstairs and change out of that. I want you back down here in two minutes."

"Yessir…" Wally said glumly, pulling the goggles off and setting them in Pop's waiting hand. He dashed up the stairs and stripped off Dad's spare costume once he got to his room. It had all seemed like such a brilliant idea just a few short minutes ago, and now Wally couldn't remember _why_. He changed into shorts and a baggy t-shirt before heading back downstairs where Pop was waiting for him in the couch. His arms were folded over his chest, and his normally warm brown eyes were hard and guarded.

Pop hardly ever got upset with him, but right now there was no mistaking the body language. He was _mad_.

Wally slunk closer and took the seat opposite him in the armchair. He pulled his legs up to his chest and winced when it twisted his back. Pop hadn't told him if he was really hurt or not, so that must've meant he was fine. But, it really _ached_.

He was too afraid to complain about it though – at least right now.

The front door opened very quietly, and Wally looked in time to catch Dad walking through. He was still in costume, but with the cowl thrown back, and Wally could read every drop of cold anger in his expression, "What were you thinking?!"

Wally shrank down in the chair. Dad _never_ raised his voice at him. "I-"

"You nearly got yourself _killed_!" he went on, words coming out shaky and scared. _That_ cut into Wally more than if he'd just been furious Dad paced restlessly along the length of the living room, combing one hand through his hair like he did when he was stressed out. "You have _no idea_ – If Oliver hadn't called us, we might've been too late! How _dare_ you do this? I _yelled_ at Oliver when he called – told him that there was no way _my son_ would go behind my back when I made it very clear that he was not going to be allowed to fight crime!"

Wally couldn't meet his eyes. Instead, he stared at Pop's hands where they were clasped together and resting on his knees.

"So, not only did you disobey me," Dad went on angrily, holding up the ripped Flash costume when Pop passed it to him. "But, you _stole_ my uniform, went out at night by yourself when it's way past your curfew, and went looking for ways to get yourself killed! How could you do this? _Wally._ I know that you know better."

"I'm sorry…" Wally mumbled quietly at his knees.

"'Sorry' isn't worth anything right now," Dad's mouth was pressed into a thin line, and the muscles in his jaw were clenched tight. "I need to know you understand how serious this is."

"I do!" Wally whined before he could stop himself. Whining had never gotten him anywhere with his parents when he was in trouble.

"Not yet you don't," Dad was actually _shaking_. "You're grounded for three months."

Wally gaped at him indignantly, opening his mouth to protest when Dad held out a finger to silence him.

"There will be no TV, no games, no friends," he listed off methodically, his steel eyes fixed on Wally like he was daring him to argue. Wally looked to Pop for his reaction, but he was wearing an identical expression of disappointment. "And, no powers."

" _What?!_ " Wally gasped, whipping back around to glare at his father.

"Oh, it's not a joke," Dad ground out evenly, cocking an eyebrow down at him threateningly. "And if I see you using your powers even once, it'll be four months. If you break _any_ of these rules, I'll add on a month each time. I don't care; I'll keep you grounded till you're eighteen."

"That's not fair!" Wally shouted, leaping up from the chair with his hands balled into vibrating fists.

"No, what's not fair is going into my son's room and finding out he's missing! It's not fair to have all my trust in you ripped away. Hal and I practically tore the city apart looking for you! I didn't know _what_ we'd find – if you were hurt, if someone had taken you, if you'd be _dead_! Now, you tell me how 'fair' it was for you to put us through that," his dad was starting to go hoarse now, but he didn't let up even an inch. "When you can do that and give me a good enough answer, then you can fight your punishment."

"I'm not going to stop trying to be a hero!" Wally shot back defiantly.

"Then, your punishment won't stop either."

Wally was crying now, hot angry tears streaming down his face. He was mad, embarrassed, still shaken up, and feeling guilty all at once and he couldn't control himself. The words were spilling from his mouth before he could stop himself.

_"You're not even my real dad! I hate you!"_

He was running for his room then, only catching a small glimpse of the stunned, devastated look that crashed over Dad's face. Wally slammed the door to his room, and it was déjà vu as he jumped onto the bed and wrapped both arms around his head to block out _everything_. He was torn between needing to run back downstairs and take back what he'd said, and wanting to just fall asleep and forget about this whole day. Wally didn't mean it; he _loved_ his dad. The fact that he was really just Wally uncle had never mattered to him.

He'd just gotten so _angry_ at the thought of being caged anywhere without being allowed to use his powers. It had made him panic.

This time, the door to his room cracked open almost immediately. Wally flinched and dug his fingers into his hair to hide his face. He wasn't ready to apologize. He didn't want to see the heartbroken look on Dad's face just yet.

He heard the crackling sound of plastic first, and then the sound of the door closing much more gently than when Wally had slammed it. A quiet set of footfalls traveled across the room until Wally felt the bed dip beside him with extra weight. He chanced a look when he heard a cap being popped off something and saw Pop sitting there pouring some kind of antiseptic onto a cloth. He was a little relieved that it wasn't Dad that had come after him, but the disappointed look Pop was giving him was worse in its own way.

"Take your shirt off. I need to clean up your wound."

Wally obeyed this time without question. The back of his shirt felt a bit sticky like it was wet, and he was afraid to look at how much he was bleeding.

It turned out to be not very much at all. Pop very carefully wiped down his skin with the antiseptic and set the barely stained cloth on the floor where Wally could see when he finished. Then, he poked a little at what Wally could imagine was going to be a _huge_ bruise. He could hear the Lantern ring scanning his back again for broken bones and anything else that might be wrong. If he had gotten hurt, he probably deserved it.

Pop worked in complete silence as he finished checking Wally over, only speaking when a thick ice pack was placed over the bruise, "Looks like you're already healing. That's gonna be sore for a day."

Wally didn't look at him, still sniffing every few seconds from crying so hard.

"I know you didn't mean what you said out there." Pop's voice was soothing, but it held a formal edge that let Wally know he wasn't happy. "But, you know you need to go apologize, right? You really hurt your dad's feelings."

Tears welled in his eyes again, and Wally nodded, still looking down at the floor. Pop handed him his shirt and he slipped it back on, feeling absurdly like a turtle with the ice pack taped to his back. He scooted closer when Pop put an arm around him, soaking up the affection like it would make everything better.

"You were too young to remember it when your birth parents died and when your aunt Iris was killed a little later…" Pop was rubbing his arm absently, brows pulled into a soft frown and brown eyes staring in the distance at nothing in particular.

He was right. Whenever Wally thought about it, he couldn't even fathom a time when two completely different people had been his parents. Dad would tell him things whenever he asked about them, but they didn't feel real. Aunt Iris, though… He could remember a few things about her: a pretty smile, pretty red hair, and eyes like his. His memories of her were all happy and loving. Wally had always felt sad that he didn't have more of them.

"But I was there," Pop went on solemnly. "I saw what your dad went through – how much he sacrificed and struggled to make sure you were taken care of. He never complained to me, not once. He never even _once_ thought about giving you up. He raised you by himself for a long time when he didn't have to. He may not be your actual father – you're not even blood related – but he's your dad and he loves you. He's always thought of you as his son, and I don't _ever_ want you to say anything like that to him again. I understand that you were angry and that you don't mean it, but you hurt your dad anyway. Now you know the kind of dangerous lives we lead, and I want you to see how important it is to make sure the people that you love know that you love them. Don't ever take them for granted. You never know what could happen tomorrow."

Wally bit his lip and nodded, throat too tight to actually speak. Pop's other arm wrapped around him too and hugged him close, "You know I love you like a son too. I don't want to see anything happen to you."

"I love you too," Wally mumbled into Pop's shoulder. He hiccupped through his tears, feeling like a baby. He knew he still had to go out and apologize, but he was too scared. "Dad's so mad at me."

"He's not mad," Pop assured him. When Wally glanced up and shot him a disbelieving frown, he gave a short laugh and shrugged. "Okay, yeah, he's mad. But, he's more scared than anything else. That's just how he gets when he's terrified over someone he loves getting hurt. He doesn't like to show he's afraid, so he looks angry instead. Make sense?"

"No…" Wally said nasally. He rubbed at his eyes in frustration to wipe away the dried on tear tracks.

"Just trust me," Pop stood up and gave him a small smile to get him to buck up. Wally still didn't feel ready to make things right, but he took the hand Pop held out for him anyways and headed downstairs.

The whole house was quiet, and Wally found his dad sitting in one of the kitchen chairs. He was leaning on his knees with both hands clasped together and his head bowed. Wally felt even worse, because he could see exactly how much he'd hurt him. Without wasting another second, he ran up to his dad and threw both arms around him, "I'm sorry!"

Dad stiffened in surprise and sat upright a little. Wally just buried his face in his neck and cried over and over again, "I didn't mean it, I'm sorry, Dad! I'm really sorry. I don't hate you!"

Very slowly, he felt Dad hugging him back tightly, one hand cupping the back of his head. He didn't say anything, but Wally kept up his constant string of apologies. He saw Pop leaning against the wall dividing the kitchen from the living room, watching them with his arms crossed and a small smile.

It felt like forever, but Wally finally felt his dad pull away. He swiped his thumbs under Wally's eyes to wipe away the tears. His expression was carefully composed so that he appeared fine, but Wally could still see how much he was hurt. "I forgive you."

Wally instantly felt lighter. He gave his dad the biggest smile that he dared while still remaining contrite, "I love you."

"I'm always going to love you, no matter what," Dad sighed. "I wasn't trying to be mean with the rules, Wally. All I want is for you to be safe. It would absolutely kill me if anything happened to you."

Wally didn't know what to say to that. He didn't remember being struck by lightning a couple months ago, but he remembered how shaken both Dad and Pop had been afterwards. He felt awful for putting them both through that again, but that drive to use his powers to help people was still there. It was muted right now, and smothered by guilt, but Wally knew it would come back. But after tonight, what was he supposed to do?

"I think we need to talk about what to do from here," Pop said suddenly from the doorway. Both Wally and his dad straightened up to look at him quizzically. Pop gestured to the torn Flash costume draped across the back of the recliner. "This can't happen again."

"Yes," Dad agreed quickly, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. "I can't handle you sneaking out again, Wally."

"Barry, that's…not what I meant," Pop sounded reluctant. "Wally may be sorry right _now_ , but he's absolutely going to do this again. I think the best thing for the time being is to ask him to never go out by himself to patrol."

"By himself…?" Dad shook his head in confusion, clearly not understanding what Pop meant. Wally didn't really get it either.

"I finally get why Ollie let Roy become his sidekick. He saw what was going to happen before it actually did, and he headed it off by training Roy to keep him safe," Pop didn't look very happy about the fact, and Dad looked positively incensed.

" _No._ " he interrupted firmly, standing out of his chair and resting one big hand protectively on Wally's shoulder. "Our son is not going to fight crime and put his life in jeopardy every day."

Pop pointed at Wally and laughed ruefully, "It's already happened. We've talked to him about not being a sidekick for weeks, and he still did this. Barry, he's got _superspeed_. You're the only one fast enough to stop him – _I'm_ certainly not – and you can't watch him 24/7. I'm not trying to give Wally ideas or encourage this, but let's be real. This is gonna happen again. When it does, I at least want him to have supervision and know how to fight."

Wally watched his dads breathlessly, hardly believing the turn this was taking. Dad looked a little dismayed like he was watching a house burn down and was helpless to stop it. He turned to Wally in defeat, "Why do you even want to do this?"

"I just want to help people," Wally told him honestly, cocking his head a little and shrugging one shoulder. "Don't you and Pop feel the same way?"

He hadn't meant it in a profound way, but the effect those words had on his parents was visible. No one spoke for several long minutes. Dad and Pop were staring at each other and seemed to be having a silent conversation with their eyes – a very unhappy one – until Dad slumped a little and took in a deep breath, "Alright…"

Wally didn't dare move an inch.

"Here's what we'll do," Dad spoke very clearly, taking great care to form each word just right. "Take this one step at a time. We're not done talking about this, but your pop and I will teach you how to fight for now. You should really know how to defend yourself anyway, having us as parents."

Wally started hyperventilating.

"You'll train until Pop and I both agree that it would be okay for you to go with one of us out on a patrol," Dad continued, holding up one finger to calm him down. "Then, we'll all sit down and discuss this again before we do anything else, and see if we can't change your mind."

Wally waited for more conditions to come up, but it looked like Dad was done. He chanced a wide smile and looked back and forth between his parents excitedly, "Really?!"

Pop nodded to give his permission, "I'm on board with it. I'm still hoping you'll see how hard it is and decide to back out, but I'll teach you everything I know."

"Oh my God. This is really happening…" Wally gasped. He ran over and threw his arms around Pop in a bear hug before switching to Dad and doing the same thing. "Wait, does this mean I'm not grounded anymore?"

"Oh, you're most definitely still grounded," Dad's look of deep personal tragedy flipped back into a stern frown. "And I expect you to use these three months to think about how _stupid_ the stunt you pulled was. I don't want you to think we're rewarding you for disobeying."

"And my powers?" Wally hopped up and down eagerly. He could _totally_ deal with his day being nothing but chores, school, and sleep if he could have this.

"You may use your powers, but _only_ for training," Dad agreed unwillingly. It looked like he was going to say more, but Wally's screeching 'whoop' of victory drowned him out.

Pop lightly smacked the back of his head, bringing Wally back down from his high and stealing his attention, "Your punishment starts now, young man. Go wipe that smile off your face, brush your teeth, and go to bed. Tomorrow we're starting conditioning bright and early, and you're _not_ going to enjoy it. I'm also dead bolting your window shut."

"Yessir! Goodnight! I love you both," Wally went through another round of hugs before sprinting upstairs _without_ using his powers and making a beeline for the bathroom. He wasn't going to screw this up by questioning _any_ orders.

Even over the sound of furiously brushing his teeth, Wally could hear his parents talking downstairs.

"What are you doing?" That was Dad's voice.

Pop started dialing the house phone, "Calling Ollie."

"Why?"

"Well, for starters, I'm going to apologize – both for us ignoring him tonight and shunning him for the last couple years. Then, I plan on begging him to forgive us and ask for advice on what to do with Wally next. Because, if anyone has a clue, it'll be him. You should probably see if you can find some kind of handbook on how to gracefully admit that you're a colossal hypocrite. I see us needing that very soon in the near future."


	18. Chapter 18

Kid Flash.

Hal didn't even know how to feel about that. It was partly the name and it partly _wasn't_ that messed him up – and not for the same reasons as Wally. The media had coined the moniker almost immediately, and Wally hadn't exactly been stoked about it. He'd wanted a 'cooler' sounding alias.

That wasn't what mattered to Hal. The name should've just been a name, except that it wasn't. It was much more, because it meant that Wally really was out there now. Kid Flash was an actual hero now with a name that the crowds could chant, a costume, and the training to back it up. There was no going back from this.

Just three years ago, he'd been building blanket forts in the living room with Wally, and now he was watching him run the streets of Central City with Barry. Hal knew that he didn't always experience the flow of time the same way that Wally and Barry did, but six months didn't seem like enough time to train someone how to fight Metahumans – especially not a _kid_.

Although, Wally had done pretty well when they'd sparred last time. He'd proved to be a good listener out on patrols, too. Hal and Barry had started him on petty robberies, muggers, disaster cleanup – mostly small crimes and the like. Once he got some experience and skill, they let him come with on Rogue battles with the stipulation that he not engage them in fights, just focus on keeping civilians safe. Wally hadn't been content with that, but he obeyed with the barest hint of complaint. After having that talk the night he got his powers and was nearly killed by the Top, Wally respected his parents' rules much more.

So, crowd control duty quickly graduated to backup in fights. Wally had a gift for knowing exactly where he could dart in, land an effective attack, and get back out again before any of the Rogues could touch him. Eventually, his help in fights became less backup and more part of the main strategy. The three of them patrolled as a team now. They practiced for weeks on developing techniques for fighting together. They got so good at them that Barry and Wally hardly even needed to communicate anymore – they were that much in sync. Hal would be jealous if it wasn't so spectacular to see in action. He was undeniably proud of his son.

Well, both proud and terrified that Wally would get hurt. So far, the youngest speedster had escaped every fight without any injuries, but that was mostly due to his parents looking out for him. Hal and Barry would trade off – one of them protecting citizens and the other protecting Wally as they fought their battles.

It was extra work, and Hal came away from patrol with a _lot_ more bruises, but Wally was getting better each time. There was no denying it. He may be a little clumsy and lacking in experience, but Wally was absolutely full of potential. Hal got the shivers imagining how powerful his son could be in another decade. He couldn't wait to watch Wally grow even more.

Patrolling together also had the added bonus of making their little family closer than ever before. There were no more secrets, no lies or excuses that had to be made when the hero life intersected with their home life. Wally knew everything now, and he was a part of it. They related to each other in ways they couldn't before Wally had gotten his powers, and their bond was stronger without that invisible wall of everything they couldn't say separating them.

Not everyone agreed though about this being the right thing for Wally.

Most of Central's Rogue battles took place in broad daylight, so it had only taken two fights for the news to catch wind of the pint-sized speedster zipping around. After that, it had only taken twenty minutes for it to make national headlines that the Flash had pulled a Green Arrow and let a child fight alongside him.

The story had broken almost a month ago. The media was still in full swing with it. Debates raged over the new 'fad' of established heroes wrangling young children into being sidekicks and putting them in danger. Was it right, was it wrong, why hadn't these hero-criminals been arrested yet for child endangerment? God, Hal really hated G. Gordon Godfrey and his hero slamming newscasts and nasally voice. He'd chucked the remote at the TV one night in a rage over one of the GBS anchor's horrendously biased stories calling Flash, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern the next Joseph Kony forcing children into being soldiers.

Not everyone had the same opinion as Godfrey, though. Some people thought it was admirable for a child so young to be interested in saving lives. Central City was surprisingly defensive of Flash. Hal knew that it helped Barry immeasurably to see Central news anchors trying to defend him and give him the benefit of the doubt live on GBS. They did their best to paint the Flash in a good light. Hal was really struck by how much Central loves its hero. Most of the broadcasts even defended Green Lantern. Hal had been living in Central City for almost five years, and he hadn't felt like a real citizen until he'd seen those strangers on TV protecting his reputation as a hero.

But that was all civilian stuff.

Justice League was flabbergasted. As soon as the first story aired, Hal's and Barry's communicators were blowing up with calls. Barry tried to field some of them, but Hal immediately chucked his communicator in the kitchen silverware drawer. He'd known what was coming. Barry followed soon after, stressed out and depressed about having to try to explain himself to his fellow Leaguers – most of whom had always liked him very much. Hal, however, was used to disdain from time to time.

It was intimidating seeing Superman's name flash over the caller ID though. Those calls were impossible to ignore. Clark and Diana in particular were relentless in wanting answers. They were both very close to Wally – had been since he was small – and they could recognize that it was him under the costume immediately. To them, it wasn't just Flash and Green Lantern endangering a child; it was _Hal_ and _Barry_ knowingly putting their _son_ in danger.

Diana was the easiest to convince. Part of Amazon culture was bringing up peerless warriors after all. She'd been raised since birth in the art of combat, so she could accept Wally joining in the good fight eventually. That didn't mean she was happy about it. She'd become quite protective of Wally and Roy over the years, and she considered herself their aunt. Hal knew he'd have nightmares the rest of his life about the threats Diana had made against him should anything happen to Wally out on a patrol. He guessed they had her reluctant blessing though, since she only came back once to check on Wally – and that hadn't been to bring more promises of peril to Hal and Barry. She'd given Wally an Amazon artifact meant to provide him with protection.

Clark came to see Hal and Barry in person when they'd ignored seven of his calls. There was no convincing Clark. Right away, he'd started in on how irresponsible and 'staggering' it was that they had done this – especially after how staunchly they'd protested Ollie doing the same with Roy. His deep disapproval had hit Barry hard, amplifying the guilt he was already feeling. Hal remembered that night very well. The angry Kryptonian had nearly damaged the hardwood floor with all his stomping as he flung insults. Barry had taken it all with silent acceptance. Hal knew he'd never forget how Barry's expression screwed up in pain when Clark gave the final barb that hinted at bad parenting. Seeing Barry so tormented had made something in Hal snap. Before he knew it, he was in Clark's face, viciously defending Barry and daring him to say it again.

He laid down their reasons, emphasizing that their primary concern had been doing what kept Wally the safest, and told Clark that he could either accept it or go the hell home. Clark tried arguing that there had been other options, each one more unfeasible than the last, and Hal realized that his friend was just deluding himself. He wasn't ready to take this realistically, and that was fine. But he better watch his damn mouth insulting Barry around Hal. Clark had left with his tail tucked between his legs that night, but he never stopped trying to convince Hal and Barry to change their minds.

They'd both expected Bruce to be right there with Clark and Diana beating down their door, but he didn't even call once. He'd been barely vocal in his disapproval when the world found out about Speedy, but not obnoxious and hateful like Hal and some of the others had been. Hal guessed that the big bad Bat's radio silence extended even to events like this. He wasn't ashamed to admit he was relieved. He vividly remembered the batarang sticking out of the fridge in his old apartment in Coast City five years ago, and he wasn't eager for any more of Bruce's threatening messages. He was actually kinda grateful for the absence of Batman, even if their missions were ten times more difficult without his planning. It was like the boss being on vacation, except he wasn't really on vacation. Hal was starting to wonder what exactly Bruce was doing over there in New Jersey. It wasn't resting, that was for sure. All the League monitors showed Gotham being protected like usual. The amount of Batman sightings had even _doubled_. So, what the hell was going on over there that he didn't want anyone interfering with?

Hal tried to put it from his mind as he touched down at the edge of the Queen property in Star City. The secret entrance to the arrow cave, which was less of a traditional cave and more of a high-tech bunker that Oliver had built beneath his home, was located here. Ollie had a zeta tube in the cave, but Hal didn't feel quite right using it today. They'd spoken over the phone and made up months ago, but Hal had been too busy helping train Wally to actually take a day out to visit in person. He wanted to do this right and not just barge in like he owned the place – or like he assumed he was fully forgiven.

Thankfully, Barry and Wally had things covered in Central City. They'd both insisted Hal fly out to California and reconnect with Ollie and Roy today.

Hal found the hidden vault door and let his mask fade so the ocular scanner could check his retinas. The tiny camera made a beeping sound, and Hal heard the metal locks sliding out of place for him. He sighed a bit in relief as he made his way down the short tunnel that fed into the lighted underground driveway. At least Ollie hadn't taken away his security clearance. That had to be a good sign.

He followed the sloping driveway all the way down to the bunker, hearing the telltale grunts and dull thuds of impact that told him people were sparring just a few meters away. The sounds echoed through the tunnel, becoming clearer as Hal stepped out of the shadows and into the brightly lit base.

Roy and Dinah were sparring in the padded ring off to the left, both trading and blocking blows heatedly. Dinah was going easy on the twelve-year-old, which was sad, because the redhead was still horribly outmatched. The blonde bombshell moved like a cobra and hit like a tank. Dinah ducked beneath one of Roy's punches, seizing his arm by the wrist and bicep, and using his momentum to throw him over her head onto the mat. Roy landed flat on his back with an 'oof', and Dinah backed off to give him a moment to recover.

Beside the ring, Ollie was at one of the many worktables scattered throughout the open floor plan. He was half watching the fight and half tinkering with a busted quiver. When Roy bit the mat hard, Ollie burst out laughing, fumbling a tiny screwdriver that slipped out of his fingers and rolled off the table. Hal saw the small tool clatter to the floor, bouncing away with high-pitched pings that contrasted with Ollie's deep, belly laughing.

" _Shut up!_ " Roy shouted at his adoptive father, sitting up and twisting around to glare at Ollie. Both of his fists were clenched in anger and embarrassment, but they went slack along with Roy's expression when the redhead spotted Hal standing in the wide entrance to the underground driveway. A myriad of emotions flickered over Roy's face, mainly excitement and surprise. Then, he was using the boxing ring ropes to pull himself up as he scrambled to his feet, "Hal!"

"Hey, Roy," Hal answered in reflex, raising one hand in a wave. Both Ollie and Dinah looked his way in mirrored shock. Dinah smiled after a second and rested one hand on her hip, but Ollie continued to stare open-mouthed at him from the floor under his workbench.

Roy rolled between the roped and jogged over to Hal, holding one fist out for a bump, "What're you doing here?"

The question wasn't unwelcoming.

"Oh, you know…just checking in on you guys," Hal knocked their fists together, noticing suddenly how _thick_ the preteen's arms were. He was several inches taller now, and _holy crap_ he'd hit a huge growth spurt since Hal had last seen him. Roy looked like he could be fifteen or sixteen instead of twelve.

"Is Wally here?" Roy leaned to look around Hal like Wally might be coming down the driveway behind him.

"No, I'm sorry," Hal shrugged apologetically. "He's patrolling right now with Barry, otherwise he'd be here."

"Well, if he's being Kid Flash, that's alright," Roy wasn't too put out about it. He went back to stretching his muscled arms, the grin on his face no less bright. He was in sleeveless workout clothes, and Hal really couldn't believe how much upper body strength the kid had built up. Archery really affected the body way more than ring-slinging did.

"How's Wally been doing?" Dinah called from the ring. She was tightening her ponytail and adjusting the guards on her elbows and knees.

Hal felt like he had to be careful with how he answered. Sidekick was likely to be a taboo word for awhile. "He's great. You've seen him on the new, right? He's taken to superspeed like a dream."

"His technique could use a lot of work, but I wouldn't guess he's only had his powers for less than a year," Dinah have a little nod in agreement. "I'd be happy to help train him if you'd like. You should see how much Roy's improved since Ollie let me take him under my wing."

"Probably just the basics until he's a little older, but yeah, thanks. Barry and I would really appreciate that," Hal saw Ollie set the retrieved screwdriver on the worktable and start walking over as he was talking to Dinah.

Roy looked ready to launch into an endless stream of questions about Wally, but Dinah called him back into the ring to finish their lesson. She knew that Hal and Ollie needed some time alone to talk things out.

Ollie was smiling, which had to be a good sign. There was a smudge of grease on his forehead, and Hal wanted to point it out, but he kept his mouth firmly shut. He didn't feel like they were good enough friends for him to say anything about it, which was absurd. He'd tell a total stranger if they had a grease unibrow, wouldn't he? Crap, he was over thinking everything. They'd made up over the phone, but being face to face was just as awkward as that first call had been.

"It's about time you showed that ugly mug around here," Ollie stopped right in front of him and crossed his arms with a smirk. He seemed pretty at ease with Hal's presence at least.

"Yeah, I've – sorry – I've been so busy with Wally, and…stuff. I'm sorry," Hal said awkwardly, shifting his weight from foot to foot anxiously.

"Hey, I understand, remember?" Ollie laughed, holding up his arms in a shrug. Hal tried to fake a laugh. Then, Ollie became more serious, his eyes looking regretful. "Look, about that, if you ever need _anything_ , just say the word. Backup, gadgets, advice, just name it. I know how awful it feels at first, so if I can help in any way let me know. I really am sorry that you're going through this with Wally."

Hal tried to breathe through the lump in his throat. He remembered being a jackass to Ollie about Roy becoming Speedy. Now that the tables were turned, Ollie had every right to be just as nasty, but he wasn't even trying to rub it in. He was just genuinely sorry that Hal was going through the same thing. He was being a much better friend than Hal deserved.

"I'm sorry," Hal croaked miserably, lifting his eyes to meet Ollie's blue ones. "I'm a shitty excuse for a friend. I'm so sorry for how I treated you. I was a huge asshole."

"Not a _huge_ one," Ollie tried to wave it off as a joke. "You really don't have to keep apologizing; I've already forgiven you. You couldn't understand at the time, and you were only looking out for Roy. I can't fault you for that. But you get it all now, so we're good."

This was dangerously close to becoming very sappy in the next few seconds.

"Thank you…" Hal said quietly. "I'm gonna find a way to make it up to you."

Ollie's smile stretched wider, "Y'know…Roy's been dying to learn some alien martial arts…"

"I'll see what I can do. I think I know a guy who'll want to help," Hal laughed. He'd persuade Kilowog to come to Earth for his next leave cycle and see if Roy still wanted to learn after he saw the nine foot tall Lantern.

"You two adorable dorks," they heard from across the room. Dinah and Roy were openly staring at them with twin pitying expressions. Dinah gestured to the workbench where the quiver that Ollie was repairing lay. "Just go out on patrol together already. Fight some crooks and make up. Roy and I will be here when you get back."

Hal looked over at Ollie to see what he thought of the idea and found the archer grinning up at his girlfriend, "I guess that's a good idea. I mean, that's usually how we solved arguments in the past."

"What are we waiting for then?" Oliver laughed. He was already mostly in uniform, so he just jogged back to a weapons case to select a bow and quiver. "Are you gonna be alright if Hal and I take off for a bit, Roy?"

"Yeah," the kid smirked at him from the ring. "I'm tired of you moping all over the place and whining about not having your best friend. I'm definitely on board with anything that puts a stop to that."

Ollie's eyes narrowed and his face turned pink while Dinah started chuckling to herself, "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up – just remember that I've got just as much embarrassing dirt on you, too."

The wide smirk fell from Roy's face, and Hal thought that he looked just a tad worried about that.

"You two be good while I'm gone. I don't want to come back to any broken bones," Ollie waved goodbye and slung an arm around Hal's shoulders as they headed for the driveway.

"Does that happen often?" Hal tried to crane his neck back to look at Roy and Dinah.

"More than you'd think."

Hal decided that he really had missed too much while he and Ollie were fighting. He needed to make up for it. "So, which part of the city do you wanna hit up first? The Glades?"

"We weren't speaking for two years, Hal." Ollie shook his head mournfully, waiting until they were out of earshot until he spoke. His eyes were alight with mischief. "We need a space adventure to mend _that_ kind of break."

Hal grinned and held up his fist, ring sparking with light, "I missed you."

"Me too, brother," Ollie smiled back.

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Wally loved being Kid Flash and fighting crime. There wasn't anything he loved more – aside from his dads, of course. He knew it was serious business and that one mistake could be deadly, but it was so much fun that he was constantly forgetting to be careful. Dad and Pop kept saying that he was giving them ulcers.

There was one thing Wally disliked about it, though. It wasn't the fights or the danger. What he hated most was when they had to bring a villain to the police station or if they stuck around somewhere long enough for the annoying reporters to find them. The flashing cameras were fine – Wally really didn't mind having his picture taken – but the news people climbing all over each other and shouting questions at him were awful.

Dad told him to ignore them. Pop said it was fine if a 'high-speed accident' happened to their equipment, but Dad had shot him an angry-looking glare when he said it, so Wally figured he shouldn't listen to Pop on that one. He just tried his best to smile and wave at the cameras, trying not to make his grin too stiff when he actually heard some of the questions:

'Kid Flash, why do you feel compelled to put yourself in the middle of these dangerous situations?'

'Is the Flash forcing you to fight beside him, or did you volunteer?'

'How old are you? Is the Flash your father? How do you feel about him allowing you to risk your life every day?'

The questions were always shouted all at once, and Wally didn't like the rush of panic they gave him, but he _hated_ the miserable look his dad got when he overheard. Wally may not understand exactly why everyone was so upset about him being Kid Flash, but he absolutely saw that people were attacking Pop and Dad over it. _That_ made him mad.

The reporters weren't nearly as bad as the police, though. News crews weren't allowed to cross the police barricades, but there were always plenty of cops that didn't hesitate to pull Wally aside and try to talk to him – like the one in front of him right now.

He and Dad had just finished taking down Heat Wave together. The fight had been easy, fluid, and _fun_. There was a smile on Wally's face the whole time as he listened to Dad's snappy comebacks and relaxed banter, playing off of Rory's frustration. They'd brought him to the meta containment unit in Central, and Wally was waiting in the station while Dad finished securing Rory in a special holding cell.

No one had bothered him at first – everyone spoke amongst themselves, shooting him sideways glances or staring outright. But then, one of the beat cops made their way over just like always.

The officer was older and pudgy, dressed sharply and kneeling down despite the fact that Wally was too tall for that anymore, "Are you okay, kid? I saw most of that fight with Heat Wave. It looked pretty nasty. Did you get burned anywhere?"

"I'm _fine_ ," Wally jerked back when the officer reached out to touch a singed part of his sleeve. Dad would scold him for being rude if he saw, but Wally didn't like people treating him like a baby when he was Kid Flash. He straightened up even taller and kept his shoulders back so he could feel the security of his costume. The red and yellow uniform helped him feel confident when he spoke to adults and faced villains. "Flash made my uniform fireproof. And I'm _way_ too fast to get hit by Heat Wave."

It was a lie – even Dad and Pop took blows from the Rogues sometimes – but Wally didn't want to appear weak.

The officer leaned back a little in surprise, and Wally thought he might've looked a little offended, "Look, kid, I'm not trying to harp on you like everyone else probably has. It's just that no one knows who you are under that mask, so we can't help you if you need it. It makes me nervous watching you fight all these psychos on TV, and I just have to know if this is what you really want."

In one corner of Wally's mind, he knew the cop was just being nice, but he was so _tired_ of the same thing over and over. He sighed heavily and rolled his eyes, throwing his arms up, "Of course it is! Do you even know how long it took to get the Flash to let me be Kid Flash?! Practically forever! He doesn't want me doing this either!"

The officer nearly fell over at the outburst, his eyes wide and mouth gaping.

Wally heard his dad's lyrical chuckle coming up behind him, and he hunched his shoulders at being caught. He must've finished helping the officers book Heat Wave. Dad just ruffled Wally's hair sticking out of the mask, "That wasn't very polite, Kid."

"Right. Sorry," Wally apologized to the officer picking himself up off the ground. He didn't look like he knew what to think anymore.

 _Good_.

Dad smiled down at him proudly and gave the officer a casual salute, "Take it easy."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but Wally saw his dad give a signal to run and then they were off, leaving the station and all the disapproval behind. None of that could even touch him when his feet were pounding the pavement and the wind was whipping through his hair.

Dad led the way through the city streets, playing dodgeball with cars and trees. Wally was right on his heels. His dad ran slower than usual so that Wally could keep pace with him, and they spoke super fast so no one else could understand what they were saying, "You did great today. I'm proud of how you handled yourself when Heat Wave shot at you."

Wally beamed, "I did just what you told me to; I stayed calm and kept him distracted so you could find an opening to knock him out."

"It's important to keep a level head in a fight," Dad nodded at his answer. "Never panic."

"Yup," Wally sped up a little and leapt onto the hood of an SUV coming at him head on. He ran up the windshield and onto the roof, vaulting off the back in a front flip and landing just a bit sloppily before rejoining his dad.

"I see Pop's been teaching you acrobatics," Dad laughed a bit dryly. He didn't like Wally being reckless, but he was a lot more lenient now that Wally had a better grasp of his powers.

"We've been practicing with the trampoline," Wally grinned back, making a charge for the lead. Dad let him pull ahead for a bit, pretending like he was having trouble catching up, and then snuck back up to his side.

"I dunno about you, but I think our good work today merits some ice cream before we head home," Dad suggested innocently. "What do you say?"

"I think Pop's gonna be jealous," Wally contorted to fit between a semi and a garbage truck.

"Of course he's gonna be jealous. We got to spend all day fighting crime and eating ice cream and he has to go apologize. You know how difficult that is for him," Dad couldn't help snickering as he tried to look sympathetic. "So, where do you want to go? Your pick."

"I want to gooooo…." Wally drew out the last word as he thought hard about his favorite ice cream parlor. There were too many good ones in the city to choose from. He picked one at random and was about to say it when his dad suddenly came to a stop in the middle of the grassy park bordering the Missouri River. Wally stumbled to a halt as well, skidding ungracefully a few steps. He still didn't have stopping down pat yet, even with the extra weights Grandpa Jay suggested they put in his boots.

Dad was standing still with one hand pressed to the lightning bolt on his cowl, clearly listening to something through his earpiece from the way his body was rigid and alert. Wally zipped over to him and pressed a few hidden buttons on his own lightning bolt earpieces. He could listen in on his dad's communicator sometimes if the frequency type allowed it. Pop and Dad insisted that Wally have access to the Justice League frequency in case of emergencies. They wanted him to be able to call for help if things ever got so bad that he needed a save.

Dad must've allowed Wally to listen in, because a deep and controlled voice flooded the speakers in his cowl right away.

_"Flash, I wanted to warn you that one of your Rogues has shown up in another city."_

Wally looked up to see his dad's response. For some reason, not many of the supervillains migrated to other cities. They usually just stayed in one place.

"Which one?" Dad was frowning lightly.

 _"Captain Boomerang,"_ the voice was very serene despite the bad news. Wally wondered which member of the Justice League it was. _"He was spotted in Gotham less than two minutes ago holding up a convenience store."_

Wally perked up instantly. Gotham?

Dad sighed heavily, teeth chewing on his bottom lip, "Oh _crap_ …"

_"I do not believe Batman is yet aware. I have detected it before Gotham PD even. Should I alert Batman, or do you want to handle it yourself?"_

Wally's eyes grew round. Were they going into _Gotham_?!

"No, I'll go get him," Dad said after a few seconds. His eyebrows were drawn together in a tight frown. "Is there any more info about what he's doing there?"

_"The reports indicated that he's armed with some kind of boomerang machine gun."_

Wally exhaled in a snorting laugh, "A _what_?"

"Shh," Dad waved him quiet abruptly. "Okay, thanks J'onn. Hold off on notifying Batman. I'm on my way."

He terminated the transmission and fixed Wally with a conflicted stare, "Looks like ice cream's gonna have to wait a bit."

"Um, _forget_ ice cream!" Wally jumped up and down excitedly. "Are we going to patrol _Gotham_?!"

"Only if you want to come with," his dad said very seriously. He really looked like he was hoping Wally would duck out of this one. "I wanted you to get experience in other cities, but I really don't want you in Gotham at night. And it's almost dark…"

"Yes, yes, yes, I wanna go!" Wally gasped in a rush, trying to reign in his flailing arms.

"Okay…" Dad said reluctantly. His shoulders were drooping a little in defeat, but Wally was way too excited to care very much. Holy crap, he was going to Gotham! _Finally!_

He leapt up, fist punching the air triumphantly in a victory jig before he remembered something that made him go very still, "Wait… Doesn't Batman want the other heroes out of Gotham right now?"

Dad nodded, "Yeah, but he wants the villains out even more. At least that's how it's usually been. I haven't gotten to talk to him in months."

"So we have to go in, get Captain Boomerang, and get out without Batman noticing us?" Wally was skeptical. He may be new at the superhero thing, but he'd been listening to his parents talk about how Batman always knew everything that was going on anywhere in the world all the time. Wouldn't Batman just _know_ the instant they set foot in his city?

Dad gave a short, nervous sort of laugh and he fiddled with the lightning bolts on his cowl, "I know it's probably not going to work out that way, but Bats and I have always gotten along very well. Hopefully, he'll forgive me if he finds us. I've respected his wishes the whole time so far. Plus, whatever he's got going on, he doesn't need extra metacriminals tearing up Gotham."

"So… _when_ he finds us…what do we do?" Wally asked apprehensively. He didn't like seeing his normally confident father so anxious. Wally had always thought Batman was cool, but he didn't really know if he was ready to see the Dark Knight in person just yet. He was sounding kind of terrifying right now.

"We run away," Dad told him sagely. Wally couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. "Alright, let's hurry. Follow me and try to memorize landmarks along the way. We're going to work on mentally mapping out the United States this year."

"Okay," Wally agreed breathlessly. They hadn't even started running yet, and he was already having heart palpitations.

Dad darted forward at a faster pace than usual, glancing back once to make sure Wally was keeping up okay, and heading east for the nearest teleporter that he and Pop called a 'zeta tube'. Right, they were racing against the clock – gotta pick it up a little. Wally clamped his jaw shut tighter and pushed himself faster, feeling the intense thrill of _flying_ across the ground. His heart pounded in his chest, swifter than a hummingbird's and more powerful than a racecar engine.

Wally didn't know how his dad could run with a full head mask; both he and Pop agreed that the feeling of wind rushing through their hair was a special kind of heaven. He knew it was smarter to keep his mouth closed, but he couldn't keep the giant grin off his face. Running side by side with his dad like this was the _best_ thing ever.

They made good time to the teleporter – at least Wally thought so – and were coming out the other tube to Gotham city limits in no time. Wally took in the steady stream of glowing traffic creeping along the interstate both directions and the big green sign illuminated above the road that welcomed visitors to Gotham City. Beyond the bridges leading into the city, everything seemed _much_ darker, and Wally felt a stab of apprehension. The sun was fully down now, and the moon had risen in its place, casting ghostly pale light on the star-dotted skyscrapers that rose like phantoms out of the mist.

"You sure you don't want to wait for me here?"

Wally nearly jumped out of his skin when his dad spoke. He looked up sheepishly and found Dad watching him closely. He cleared his throat and gave a jerky nod, "I want to go with."

Dad sighed a bit, but put his hands on his hips and got down to business, "Alright. We're going to have to split up. Gotham's big, but it's mostly centralized, so we can reach each other in seconds if anything goes wrong. We're going to comb the city looking for boomerangs. You remember what Central looks like after one of Digger's attacks?"

"Yeah," Wally knew all too well. White boomerangs would be sticking out of everything, because, yeah, they were supposed to come back to you, but there wasn't always enough room in the city for that.

"Well, we don't want any evidence left behind that Digger Harkness was even _in_ Gotham," Dad gestured to the Gotham skyline. "And if we track the boomerangs, they'll lead us right to him. If I find him first, I'll take him out of the city and signal for you to follow. If you spot him, call for me and we'll take him out together. Don't stop for anything but Harkness or his boomerangs."

"But what if I see someone in trouble?" Wally cocked his head and glanced at the amount of traffic still moving beside them. Central was a beautiful city, but it still had a lot of crime. He imagined that the citizens of Gotham were constantly in danger with so many thugs and criminals around.

"Keep running," Dad was suddenly right in front of him, gripping his shoulders firmly and making sure they were eye to eye. "Gotham is a lot more twisted than you're used to. I know it's gonna be hard for you, but I don't want you to stop for _anything_. Don't even let people _see_ you, okay? Just get the boomerangs and look for Digger. Do you understand?"

Wally didn't understand. His dads had always encouraged him to look out for others and that it was the right thing to do to help your fellow man. But, there had to be a good reason that dad was saying this now, so he nodded silently.

"Okay, good. Now, one more thing - and this is the _most_ _important_ rule," Dad held up one finger as he spoke, and he actually seemed kind of scared for a second. Wally listened with his full attention. "If you see any kind of clown, immediately run in the opposite direction. Don't wait for me; don't waste time signaling me, just _run_ to the next state. Okay?"

Wally nodded mechanically, frowning in confusion, because how could a clown be dangerous?

"I need to hear you say it," Dad said firmly.

"If I see a clown, I run to the next state," Wally jolted up straighter like he was snapping to attention.

"Good. You take the south side, and I'll cover the north," Dad reached out to touch Wally's face fondly and stopped himself. They weren't right beside the road, but they were close enough that some of the drivers might recognize them. And Wally knew it was important that his dad's villains stay in the dark about them being father and son. It would be suspicious if Flash and Kid Flash were too affectionate with each other. "Be safe."

"You too," Wally pulled his red goggles down over his eyes and crouched into a runner's stance. "I'll race ya to Captain Boomerang."

He pushed off from the grassy bank and tore across the Gotham River, kicking up water into a spray as he ran. Sprinting across water was one of the newer tricks he's learned, but it was easy as breathing. Wally veered across the river beneath the bridge that opened into the harbor and picked a good path onto the docks.

This section was mostly deserted, with the exception of several hooded guys loading something out of a small boat into a sleek van. Wally turned a blind eye and breezed right past them to the barges and the shipyard. The docks were creepy, and they smelled like fish, so Wally sped through faster than he should have.

The rest of the south side was just as bad. It was past rush hour, and the streets were still bustling with cars and people galore. Wally was having a hard time dodging traffic, searching for boomerangs, and keeping a wary eye out for clowns all at the same time.

He was just beginning to think Dad would be calling any second to say that he had Digger already when a small flash of white high up caught his eye. Wally made a sharp turn and sprinted up the side of an apartment building, having to scramble onto a fire escape mid-way and climb the rest of the way to the roof.

Vertical running wasn't something he'd mastered quite yet…

Wally rolled over the ledge and onto the roof in a heap. It was probably the weights in his boots keeping him from making it all the way up, but it was better than not being able to stop correctly one day. Wally really didn't want to be a smear on the road.

He hopped to his feet and darted to the stone gargoyle carved into the corner of the roof, leaning out a bit to examine it. There in its open jaws was a battered white boomerang that had crushed two of the fangs and lodged itself deep in the gargoyle's head.

Score!

Wally jerked the boomerang free with a triumphant grin and held it up in front of his face. Heck yeah, this was definitely one of Digger's plain ones. He keyed the microphone in his lightning bolt excitedly, "Da – I mean – Flash! I found a boomerang!"

"Good job," his dad said after a second. "I found some too. It looks like Captain Boomerang's covered a lot of ground. Just follow his trail on your end and we're bound to meet up in the middle."

"Yes, sir!" Wally beamed up at the high fog lingering above the buildings. He clutched the boomerang tightly and took off back down to the street to comb the neighborhood for more.

There was one boomerang lodged in a street lamp, another lying on the decorative arch of a clothing store front, three scattered on the sidewalk, one sticking out of a dumpster, and one tucked into a news stand. Wally was running with both arms loaded full of boomerangs, having just spotted another high up on the beams of the elevated railway that looped throughout the entire city when he heard a low grunt to his left.

Startled, Wally stumbled to a halt, dropping some o the boomerangs in the process. He looked over and felt his heart leap into his throat when he saw a trio of thugs holding another man up against an alley wall. They were beating him with bats, and Wally even saw a small knife glinting in the dim lights from the street. Their victim kept trying to curl in on himself to protect his face and chest, but he couldn't even move his arms.

Wally was conflicted for all of two seconds about what to do. His dad had explicitly instructed him not to stop for anything, even if people were getting hurt. Gotham was supposed to be dangerous after all, and even the rooftop above the thugs seemed to be alive with menacing shadows.

But Wally couldn't just ignore him. He _had_ to help.

Without stopping to give much thought to the consequences, Wally tossed his armful aside and plowed into the thug with the knife at a running tackle. He shoved the thug into the ground and used him as a springboard to vault back onto his feet. The knife clattered across the concrete, and Wally lashed out to kick it further away. He rocketed a fist right into the mugger's nose and knocked him out. Behind him, the other two started shouting when they spotted his bright red and yellow costume in the dark.

Wally spun around to meet them, fists up and ready to spring into action when a mocking laugh echoed through the alley. They all froze, looking around in confusion for the source of the cackle.

With a loud whoosh, a small caped figure dropped onto one of the thugs from above. It landed on his shoulders and crouched there almost like a monkey.

"What the-?" he screeched, bucking and flailing to dislodge the figure. As he thrashed, Wally got a better view of the figure on his back. It was a kid! In his panic, the thug blindly swung his bat around and caught his partner in the jaw, sending him face first into the dirt as well.

The boy rammed a knee between the thug's shoulder blades, and he went down hard. Wally watched open-mouthed as the kid – he really was just a really small _kid_ – flipped away much more gracefully than Wally had and straightened up to aim a shiny red throwing star at the muggers. Wally refused to budge, keeping himself in front of the poor guy slumped over and recovering from being ganged up on.

Was this new kid a friend or foe? Wally couldn't tell; he'd never seen him before. The kid seemed to be sizing him up as well, but with far more recognition on his face. Who _was_ he?!

Standing fully upright, he was way shorter than Wally with messy black hair and a black domino mask hiding his eyes. He as in costume too – all dark blacks and reds with thick padding and Kevlar armor, and a heavy cape that protected his back and shoulders. Over his heart was a stylized 'R insignia.

Who the heck wore an 'R'? Wally mentally went through all the heroes and villains he knew and came up blank.

The new kid made a move to help the injured victim, but the guy panicked and bolted out of the alley instead.

"Hey, wait!" Wally held out an arm to stop him, but the kid was blocking his way. "Who _are_ you?"

"What are you doing in Gotham?" he countered, relaxing his hold on the throwing star a bit but staying on guard.

"Um," Wally turned in a circle, looking for his discarded pile of boomerangs to point at. "Stuff? I'm looking for one of my bad guys."

The kid lost his composure for a second, and his frown turned bewildered. "One of _your_ bad guys? Which one? You don't work in Gotham."

"It's not a _Gotham_ villain," Wally said in exasperation. "He's just here right now. I'm from Central City."

"I know," the kid shot back with just as much sass. "You're the Flash's sidekick."

Wally had been gearing up to volley over a really good comeback, but it all vanished in the wake of the startled happiness that cropped up, "You know who I am?"

"Of course," the masked boy smirked, relaxing now and resting both hands on his hips haughtily. "We have cable in Gotham. I've seen you on the news."

What a jerk! Wally felt his face heating up with anger, and he sucked in a mouthful of air to snap back with an insult when he heard a familiar whistling sound coming in fast.

His dad was suddenly standing beside the new kid, an overflowing bag of boomerangs hefted on one shoulder and Digger tied up and unconscious thrown over the other. Dad looked dismayed as he frowned down at Wally, "Kid! What part of 'don't stop ever' didn't you get?! I only gave you two rules to follow."

Wally had seen him coming, so he only flinched because he knew he was about to be in trouble. But the boy would've only been able to see an impossibly fast red blur rushing up beside him. He jumped a foot in the air and cried out in alarm, eyes bugging out beneath the mask.

Dad looked at the boy then, appearing just as perplexed as Wally had been, "Oh. Uh, hi? Who are you?"

The kid seemed to be trying to get his heart rate under control and was unable to speak. Wally was about to try and explain when he heard that same rustling cape sound directly behind him – but _louder_. Something heavy impacted the ground with a thunderous crack, and Wally whipped around on reflex.

He came face to face with a black bat symbol stretched across a massive chest. Trembling, Wally slowly looked up into the terrifying, narrowed eyes of Batman. Surprisingly, he didn't cry out or gasp, but his lungs _did_ lock up and leave him struggling to breathe.

Somewhere behind him, Wally heard his dad give a startled squeak, "Bats!"

Batman dragged his heavy glare off Wally and onto Dad. His mouth was set in an unhappy line, and when he spoke it was like stones being ground together, "Flash. Looking for _this_?"

He brought one hand up from the folds of his cape and held out a lone boomerang to Wally's dad.

Wally backed up a bit towards the alley wall, ending up beside the new kid. Batman was really right there. In person. Less than five feet away. Impossibly tall and built like a tank. Wally had always thought that Dad had a lot of muscles, but he looked much thinner and more streamlined now compared to Batman. He was also used to seeing Dad be the confident, in charge one when he spoke to others – including Pop. But now he was shrinking back under the force of Batman's glare and wearing the expression Wally usually had when he knew he was in trouble.

Dad's shoulders sank, and he set the limp Captain Boomerang on the ground with a sigh, "Okay, so here's what happened-"

"You came into Gotham despite my orders _not to_ ," Batman finished for him. It was almost funny how closely that sounded like Dad's words from just a few seconds ago.

"Yes I did, and I'm sorry about that," Dad cocked an eyebrow in irritation, looking more like his normal self. The new kid moved closer to Batman, and it caught Dad's attention. He kept glancing between the two of them in confusion. "But J'onn let me know that Captain Boomerang was here, and you're always telling us that we need to handle our own villains, so I came to get him. I figured it would be the nice thing to do, since you've had something going on here for months, and I didn't want…you to…wait a minute."

Dad trailed off mid-sentence and was staring right at the kid with his mouth hanging open. He pointed at him and then spoke to Batman in a hiss, "Oh my God, is _he_ the reason you shut down Gotham from the other heroes? Are you training a _sidekick_?!"

Batman's glare turned even darker, and the kid even frowned a little, "Flash, leave _now_."

"Not until you explain this," Dad crossed his arms stubbornly and planted his feet firmly in place. Wally watched it all without daring to blink. His dad was saying 'no' to _Batman_. Both heroes stared each other down until Batman let out a frustrated sort of growl.

"Not here," he said.

Dad's stern face lightened suddenly, and he looked down at Captain Boomerang like he'd forgotten he was there. "Oh. Right. Let me just…run him back to Central and meet you in the cave?"

Cave? Wally frowned at his dad in disbelief. The _Batcave_?!

As if he could hear what Wally was thinking, Batman's stern gaze swiveled onto him abruptly, "Go. I'll bring Kid Flash with me."

Wally felt his whole body ice over at the thought of being alone with Batman and whoever the kid was. He wanted to shake his head and shout 'no please'. There was no way his dad would leave him with someone else, right? He and Pop were always so big on the buddy system.

"Sure," Dad nodded like it wasn't a big deal. Wally's jaw dropped open. "I'll be there in five."

Then, he, Digger, and the bag of boomerangs were all gone in a rush of wind. Wally and Batman were both clearly used to seeing him speed off like that, but the kid flinched again with wide eyes.

"Five _what_?" the boy looked up at his mentor. " _Minutes?_ "

Yeah, he wasn't at all used to speedsters.

"Robin," Batman said sharply with one shake of his head. The kid went silent, but the look he sent Wally was practically screaming suspicion.

Who was Robin? Wally had never heard of him before, but Dad seemed to know _something_. Was Robin his real name, or was that a codename?

"Follow us," Batman told Wally suddenly. "And stay close."

Follow where? To the Batcave… Holy crap! Wally nodded with jerky movements, "Y-Yes, sir – _Batman_ , sir – uh, okay…"

The boy called Robin was a baffled by this whole night as Wally as, but he was a bit better at not letting it show. He pulled out a chunky looking gun and fired it up into the sky. Instead of bullets, a claw on a long cord went soaring up to clamp firmly on the ledge of the apartment building. Robin flashed Wally an unmistakable 'look what I can do' smirk, and then the gun yanked him up into the air. He landed easily on the rooftop and looked over the edge with a laugh.

That little… he was taunting Wally! What a showoff…

Having learned from Pop to never let anyone show him up, Wally backed up a few steps to get a running start. It was harder because of the lack of momentum, but Wally managed to speed halfway up the side of the building before he started to lose traction. He awkwardly spider climbed the rest of the way up, trying to look like he'd meant to do that the whole time.

It seemed to work. Robin looked pretty impressed at any rate.

Batman followed them up and took the lead, cutting across rooftops and fire escapes toward a secluded parking garage a few blocks away. Wally kept up just fine, but he got the feeling that they were slowing down a lot for him. Parkour wasn't really his thing the same way that long, completely flat roads were. He didn't really care even if they were. It was just so surreal being in Gotham like this with _the_ Batman. Normally, he'd be talking up a storm, but Wally kept his mouth clamped shut as they ran.

They moved to the back of the garage, and Batman pressed a button on his utility belt. From the darkest shadows, an engine roared to life, and blinding headlights shone at them straight on. Wally covered his eyes in surprise and blinked a few times to adjust.

They were heading towards the Batmobile.

Wally's palms started sweating. The dome-like top slid back to let them all in, revealing an inky black interior with all kinds of monitors and lights winking and flashing at them. It looked like a _panther_ was crouching there instead of a car, fast and powerful and ready to pounce.

Wally wanted one.

He carefully climbed into the cramped seat in the back when Batman signaled him to, very self-conscious of all the dirt and muck stuck to the bottom of his boots. Would he make Dad pay to have the car cleaned if Wally tracked grime everywhere?

Robin did a completely unnecessary back flip into the front passenger seat, and Wally swore he saw the twerp grinning at him in the rear view mirror. He contemplated kicking the seat. The top slid back into place once Batman was inside, and he guided the car out of the garage and onto the streets.

The Batmobile didn't have anything on the kinds of speeds Wally or his dad could reach, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate it. It was the freaking _Batmobile!_ Pop was going to be so jealous!

The ride lasted all of three minutes with the way Batman plowed through traffic and then drove the car right into the side of a cliff. Wally had braced for impact and desperately wished he'd learned how to vibrate through things, when it turned out that the section of sheer rock was a hologram that they passed harmlessly through.

From that point, it was too dark to see anything else other than the tunnel they were speeding down until they burst into a darkly lit cave. Batman steered the Batmobile onto a circular turntable and brought it to a stop with all wheels screeching in protest. The Gotham duo climbed out of the car with practiced ease, but Wally just kinda stood up and took a minute to gape at the cave around him.

Dad and Pop had told him stories about what it looked like, but seeing it himself was something else. There were several levels to the cave, all platforms and stairways connecting them together in a maze. One level held glowing display cases, a giant penny, and a _dinosaur_. Most of the others were filled with intense looking computers and lab equipment. There was even a dock set up in the water quietly sloshing around at the bottom of the cave and a helicopter pad closer to the ceiling where the endlessly chirping horde of bats hung upside down in clusters watching him.

Wally vaulted out of the Batmobile and onto the turntable beside Robin, resisting the urge to narrow his eyes at him.

"Wait here and don't touch anything," Batman turned on them both sternly. Wally didn't need to be told twice to listen to him. "Robin, stay with our guest. I'll come for you when the Flash and I are finished speaking."

"Yup," Robin nodded up at his mentor eagerly. When Batman left, the caped boy spun around and gave Wally a look like he was a prison warden.

They didn't say anything for a long moment, just made increasingly suspicious faces at each other. Wally really didn't like this kid's air of authority or the overconfidence in his eyes.

"What are you, seven?" Wally asked him, turning up his nose a bit.

Robin narrowed his eyes, "Nine and a _half_."

"Pfft," Wally laughed. "Only babies count how old they are by half years."

"Then how old are _you_?" Robin shot back, his ears going pink.

"Ten."

"Then you're only a few months older than me. Stop acting all superior," Robin shrugged one shoulder and crossed his arms. He was so thin that his arms looked like sticks under the thick gauntlets he wore.

"I'm almost eleven!" Now Wally was the one flushing red. "I'm at least a year older!"

"I thought we weren't counting in half years," Robin said slyly.

Wally had to bite his tongue and start pacing around with a little superspeed to keep himself from getting angry. This kid was really agitating. He was snarky, smug, and he kept _staring_ at Wally!

"Quit looking at me!" Wally burst out uncontrollably.

Robin jumped a little in surprise, and he immediately dropped his eyes to the floor looking embarrassed at being caught, "Sorry, I-"

"What? You haven't seen a metahuman before?" Wally snapped, alternating between folding his arms across his chest, resting them on his hips, and balling his hands into fists. He really hated when he had so much energy but wasn't able to _run_. It felt like the energy was ping ponging all around inside of him, driving him crazy, and waiting to get out.

"No," the boy admitted, awkwardly shifting his weight from foot to foot. Wally's irritation hit pause for a moment, and his eyes widened a little in surprise. "I mean, I've seen footage of people with superpowers. I even saw Poison Ivy once from a distance – Batman won't let me near her yet. But I've never really been standing right next to one – a metahuman – before…"

Wally angry vanished in an anticlimactic little fizzle. His shoulders slumped, and he cocked his head to the side, "Wow, really? But I thought Batman had all kinds of Justice League pals like my d – like _Flash_ does. You've never seen any of them before?"

Robin shook his head, "No one's supposed to know about me yet."

"Yeah, that's probably better," Wally rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. He knew all too well how much trouble he'd gotten his dads into with the rest of the world – and other heroes too. "People get real upset about kids like us fighting crime. It's not very fun hearing all the stuff they say."

"Oh," Robin looked a bit worried.

"But you just gotta ignore them, cause if the issue wasn't how old we are, it would be about something else. That's what my dad says – well, one of my dads. I call him 'Pop'."

"You have two dads?"

"Yep," Wally grinned happily. "They're so awesome."

For a second, Wally thought Robin would react like some of the kids at his school did when he said he had two fathers. They'd get weird looks on their faces and then act like he hadn't said anything at all. But Robin only looked at him strangely for a second before breaking out into a grin of his own, "Cool."

Warmth filled Wally's chest at that, and he decided he liked Robin. They should be friends. After all, who else was going to show Robin how cool metahumans were? Wally leaned closer to him conspiratorially and glanced around to see if Batman was watching, "Wanna see some superspeed tricks?"

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Barry felt a little bad about leaving Wally with Bruce, but there really weren't many people safer. He vibrated through the limestone cave walls and came out beside the sleek jet parked on the top level. Every time he entered the Batcave this way, he expected Bruce to have installed some kind of electric field to stop him from doing it again.

The bullet Barry took to the spine was probably the only reason why Bruce _hadn't,_ but it was still surprising.

He sped to the edge of the platform and looked down. Bruce was one level down, situated at his supercomputer, and the kids were on the turntable beside the Batmobile. The dark-haired boy was perched on the roof of the car watching Wally running rapidly in a circle to generate a small, orange colored tornado. Barry leaned on the railing and smiled down at them. Hmm…

He ran to Bruce's level where the vigilante was looking over pictures and files of Edward Nigma. Barry read every scrap of information on all the different screens, getting the gist that the Riddler had gotten away with a pretty sizeable heist tonight. He made a face as he approached Bruce's chair, _really_ hoping that he and Wally showing up hadn't contributed to the Riddler escaping in some way.

"Sorry, that took a bit longer than I thought," he leaned against the console. "There's a lot of paperwork involved in charging a Metacriminal who committed a crime in another, uh, _state_. I probably should've just run him to one of the GCPD precincts. Blackgate Penitentiary is decent at holding metas, right?"

Bruce didn't answer him. He just kept pulling up city alerts and scrolling through police scanner transcripts. Barry sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. He'd kinda known Bruce would be like this. "Bats."

Bruce still didn't look at him. He had his cowl on, and the white lenses were narrowed at the monitor. Barry had seen him do this before to freeze out heroes that were bothering him at Mt. Justice, but Bruce had never ignored him before.

Well… Barry would just have to channel his inner Hal Jordan in retaliation. He pretended to yawn and hooked one ankle over the other casually, "I can stand here all night. Nothing's going on in Central, and Hal's out with Oliver. If you don't talk to me, I'm sure I can find a way to insert 'Batman' into most of the songs I know. Hal's told me I have a really nice singing voice."

Bruce's jaw twitched, and he leaned back in the chair with a low growl, "What do you want to know?"

Barry rolled his eyes and threw out one arm towards the turntable, "Uhh, for starters, who's the kid down there in all the Kevlar? I thought you were against the whole sidekick thing."

"Funny. I thought _you_ were too," Bruce very smoothly shot back.

"It's complicated," Barry scowled at him. "You'd know that if you'd returned any of my calls since my son was _struck by lightning_."

Bruce actually looked offended at the implication that he didn't care, "I was monitoring your son's condition from the moment Clark notified me. Had you needed my help badly enough, I would've given it. But I was a little busy at the time with something else."

"The kid," Barry guessed. "Who is he?"

"He chose the name Robin," Bruce told him after a long minute. "You were likely preoccupied at the time, but it was the same night as your son's accident. There was a charity event I attended at Haly's Circus when it came through Gotham, and I witness the Flying Grayson murders."

Barry's eyes widened and he twisted around in time to see the black-haired boy back flip off of the Batmobile. He landed on his hands, and easily shifted his weight to balance on just one hand like an acrobat. "He's-"

"Richard Grayson – Dick," Bruce finished darkly, sounding like his mind was miles away. "Tony Zucco, a mobster in the Maroni crime family, sabotaged the trapeze cords when Mr. Haly refused to pay them protection money. Dick watched his entire family fall to their deaths."

"Jesus…" Barry faintly remembered Hal saying something about the Grayson murders one morning when he as reading the paper. "So, what – you adopted him? Why?"

"It's not official yet. I just…" For a moment, the Batman mask seemed to fade away. "I knew what he was going through. I thought I could help him."

"By turning him loose on Gotham?"

"I hadn't planned on training him," Bruce glanced up at him briefly. "But after a few days, I saw him turning out the same way I did – angry, bitter, and full of hate. I didn't want him to end up like me, so I trained him to avenge his family's deaths and bring the killer to justice. He helped me take down Zucco."

Barry _did_ remember some of the detectives at the station talking about _that_ , "He was arrested three months ago, though."

"The boy has an incredible aptitude for crime fighting," Bruce gave an impressed sort of shrug. "And it's helping him heal – slowly – so he comes with me on patrols. I'm never more than a rooftop away from him, and he stays out of sight."

"How've you managed to keep him out of the media? I haven't even heard a peep about the kid?"

"Stealth exercises were the first things I taught him," Bruce actually smiled a little. He was obviously proud of Robin. "That's why I wanted all the heroes to stay out of Gotham. Dodging the police blimps is one thing, but no one can hide from Superman. I'm not ignorant to how you, Oliver, and Hal have been treated over Speedy and Kid Flash. _I'm_ prepared to face judgment over it, but Dick doesn't need that right now. So, I wanted to keep him out of it for awhile until I feel that he's ready."

"I understand," Barry said solemnly. He couldn't say he wouldn't do any differently.

"That's why you will keep what you saw tonight to _yourself_ ," Bruce stood suddenly, setting a faintly threatening glare on Barry. "I'm asking you to not tell the Justice League or anyone else."

"Yeah, of course," Barry promised immediately. It wasn't the League's business anyways. "Well, except for Hal."

" _No_ ," Bruce's frown deepened.

"I _have_ to tell Hal," Barry held out his arms in a shrug. "He's my boyfriend. I tell him everything."

"Not this."

"Hal can keep a secret. Trust me. He managed to keep our relationship a secret for a year," Barry tried to make his grin look reassuring.

"During which time, he actively tried to get people to _guess_ that you were dating," Bruce deadpanned. Barry bit his lip and looked sideways to avoid his gaze.

"It'll be fine," he laughed nervously. "No one's gonna find out."

Bruce grumbled quietly to himself, but he didn't pursue the argument any more. Barry knew he, Wally, and Hal were probably going to be subjected to surveillance and wire taps for the foreseeable future.

Oh. Right!

He walked to the edge of the platform and jerked his head at the boys below. Wally was watching Robin juggle batarangs, and both kids were laughing so hard that they could barely breathe, "What are we going to do about _this_?"

Bruce joined him at the railing, suddenly looking surprised, "I've never seen him smile like that outside of patrols…"

"Kids need friends," Barry told him simply. "Especially ones who know what it's like having a double life. Vengeance is great and all, but I'm sure Dick would heal faster if he spent more time with kids his own age."

"Are you trying to hint at a play date?" Bruce sounded unamused. Heheh. Hal would _love_ this.

"No, just – alright, maybe I am," Barry laughed sheepishly. "Just look at how well they get along!"

"Go home, Barry," Bruce turned back to the computer. He sighed tiredly. At least he wasn't pissed off anymore. "And tell Hal to keep his mouth shut and remember what happened the last time he made me angry."

"Will do. And Bats?" Barry waited until Bruce glanced back at him. "If you need any help with Robin at all, or just parenting stuff, you just have to call. Oliver, Hal, me, you – we're all in the same boat now. We've gotta have each other's backs."

Bruce just stared at him for a long time, and Barry started to feel stupid. He held up one hand in farewell and turned to get Wally and leave, "Well, I'll see ya then."

"Flash."

Barry stopped in his tracks, turning around in time to catch the small cell phone sized device Bruce tossed him. He examined it curiously and looked to Bruce for an explanation.

"That's a secure line," he said gruffly. "Robin will have the matching receiver. He and Kid Flash can talk to each other with it, but let's wait awhile before we start talking about play dates."

Barry tried furiously to force down his laughter and keep a straight face, "You got it, Bats."


	19. Chapter 19

Hal thanked God for zeta transport. He'd finished up a day in Coast City flying new, fast jets and was home with his speedsters five minutes later. Technology was pretty damn awesome when it got him dinner even a few seconds faster. It had actually been his day to cook, but he'd forgotten. Fortunately, Barry foresaw this and had something in the freezer they could heat up. He was so friggin wonderful.

On top of that, there were no global alerts to respond to, all but one of the Rogues were in prison right now, and Hal's ring was being blessedly quiet. Wally was upstairs working on a science project for school, so Hal and Barry had the living room to themselves to curl up with each other and watch whatever's on TV. Hal used to like police and crime dramas until Barry picked apart everything the writers got wrong. Barry used to choose war movies until a few times of Hal telling him how wrong all the aerial maneuvers were. Since then, all they could agree to watch were the weird cooking game shows and Wally's cartoons.

Barry was leaning back against Hal's chest with his long legs stretched out on the couch. He was vibrating lightly as Hal massaged his chest and stomach muscles from behind, and it felt like he was purring. Hal sighed happily and kissed the side of Barry's neck while the speedster dozed on and off. Several years ago, Hal would've never thought that he was one for this normal, domestic stuff, but he found that he liked almost everything as long as Barry was there.

Hal was so comfortable here and so in love that he often found his mind wandering to the subject of long term commitments. It had been going on for the last couple years, and the ideas had Hal terrified and excited at the same time.

He kneaded Barry's sides from ribs to waist, watching one of the contestants on TV run through the challenges with one arm strapped behind his back. He was trying to roll out dough and kept flipping the rolling pin off the table. Hal chuckled a little, trying to keep still for Barry, and smiled into his hair, "We should try that."

"What," he mumbled groggily. The show switched to the other finalist having to slice potatoes with a spoon. "Humiliate ourselves on television? I already do that sometimes when I'm fighting the Rogues."

Hal snorted, "Someone should make a game show with the incarcerated villains."

"Mr. Freeze's frozen food super cook-off."

They both cracked up at that, Barry shifting so that he could grin mischievously up at Hal, "We _have_ to stop watching this crap, babe."

"I dunno," Hal shrugged. "I've picked up some good tips from a few of these shows."

"Just change the channel," Barry pressed his face into Hal's collarbone and grabbed a fistful of his Ferris undershirt.

"Not if you're just gonna fall asleep," Hal shook him carefully. "If you fall asleep, _I'll_ fall asleep. It's only 7:30; Wally's gonna think we've turned into old men on him."

"I like being old," Barry laughed tiredly into his collar. Man, when he got into a lazy mood, he turned into a sloth. "It suits me."

"It really does," Hal teased. He locked both arms around Barry and hunkered down in the couch further, closing his eyes. "I'll be old with you. How about that?"

"Mm'kay."

"Okay."

Hal could feel himself minutes from sleep when the room suddenly lit up, and Wally thundered down the stairs like a buffalo, "Dad! Pop!"

Barry covered his ears and didn't move, but Hal looked over at his son when he ran into the room. Wally had a phone clutched in both hands. "Yeah?"

Wally wriggled in place, doing his 'I want something' dance, "Um, can I run to Gotham to hang out with Rob?"

 _That_ woke Barry up. He cocked an eyebrow at Wally, sitting up a little, "Wally, that's out of state."

"I know," Wally said carefully, fidgeting with the phone. "But, Batman finally said we were allowed to see each other outside of patrols. Can I use your zeta authorization then?"

"That's still you going across the country by yourself," Hal made a face. "You're ten. No good parent lets their kid do that."

"My birthday's in a week," Wally sighed. "And I'm not a normal kid."

"If it were up to me, you'd be four forever," Hal laughed. "You were _so_ cute back then. You couldn't pronounce my name right, so you called me Howl."

Barry cracked up, and Wally went a little pink around the ears, covering the mouthpiece of the phone. Hal could hear very faint laughter coming out of the speaker. _"Pop!"_

Hal grinned to himself, very pleased with being the embarrassing dad, "I don't suppose Bats would let Robin zeta over here, huh?"

"No," Wally deflated a bit.

"He's not allowed to tell you who he is, right?" Barry asked in confusion. "How are you going to hang out without costumes?"

"Rob has sunglasses."

Hal frowned, glancing outside where it was already getting dark, "Sunglasses at night? Batman's so awkward."

The whole thing was awkward. Hal was totally fine only seeing Bruce on missions and League meetings, but now Wally had decided that Bruce's protégé was his new best friend. He'd really been hoping that Bruce would keep the no play date rule forever – which was admittedly selfish of him.

Robin was a great kid and all, but just _no_.

"Did Batman say you could come over _tonight_ though?" Barry checked his watch. "It's pretty late in Gotham, and it's a school night."

Wally cringed a little and then plastered on a big, fake smile, "Yes?"

"You're such a terrible liar," Hal moaned, letting his head fall back in mock despair. "I know I taught you how to lie better than that. You had such potential when you were younger!"

Barry elbowed him in the gut, eyeing Wally suspiciously now, " _Wally_."

"Okay! No, he didn't say I could some over," Wally admitted, still keeping Robin on hold. "But we weren't gonna be in the Batcave."

Like that was any better.

"Right, so just a 'joyrun' around Gotham at night," Hal laughed sarcastically. "That's totally safe."

"I can handle myself," Wally said defensively. "And Gotham isn't that bad. It's just all reputation. Central City's annual crime rate is double what Gotham's is."

Hal took one look at Barry, and they both burst out laughing, "That wasn't subtle _at all_. Did Robin feed you that statistic?"

Wally's face suddenly soured, making his parents laugh even harder, and he brought the phone up to his ear, "It didn't work, Rob… Yeah, I said it like you told me to…"

Barry wiped at the tears in the corners of his eyes, still chucking, "I need to look those numbers up and see if that's true."

"Doesn't matter," Hal caught his breath. "As long as the Joker and people like Two-Face are still in Gotham, it's more dangerous."

Wally was actively ignoring them now, muttering into the phone to Robin because he hadn't gotten his way. Hal felt bad, but Wally would be fine. He wasn't one to pout for long.

"Seriously. Have you ever run into the Joker?" Hal tried to pull Barry into his arms again. The speedster was fantastically warm, and Hal wasn't ready to be done snuggling yet.

"Twice. One of those times, I got close enough to look into his eyes," Barry didn't resist when Hal latched onto him. "He had the same madness in them as Professor Zoom…"

"True that," Hal said lightly, trying to gauge Barry's mood at the mention of Thawne. He seemed fine, which was a testament to how much he'd healed over the years. Hal wrapped one arm around Barry and gripped his hand tightly – just to let him know that he was there. Always. Barry's hand twisted in his, and he entwined their fingers tightly.

Had he been paying more attention to Wally, he would've noticed the clearly deviant glint that flashed in his eyes a second before the kid cleared his throat and announced, "Fine. I'm going back to my room then."

"Sorry, kid," Hal called after him as Wally retreated upstairs, still on the phone with Robin. "Maybe when you're older."

"Thanks for backing me up on that," Barry said off-handedly.

"I've always got your back," Hal answered, settling back in and flipping the channel to some action movie that was halfway over. He'd hoped that Barry would stay still, but his speedster was wide awake now and pressing a kiss to Hal's jaw. Hal bemoaned the loss of body heat when Barry pushed off of him and leaned over the side of the couch to retrieve his laptop. "What are you doing?"

Barry balanced the laptop on Hal's chest and started tapping away at the keys with a purpose, "I'm looking up those stats. I'm really curious now."

Hal frowned at what he could see of Barry's face over the lid, feeling the fan blowing against his shirt, "I'm sorry? I wasn't aware that I was a table."

"Shush."

He couldn't help grinning in response and rocking his hips back and forth to upset the computer. Barry smacked him lightly, and that set Hal off into a bout of giggles. He let up after another minute and just stared sideways at the TV, trying to figure out which movie was playing. It was some romantic comedy with that cute blonde actress that was in everything – what was her name? Hal stewed over it, trying to remember what else he'd seen her in when Barry suddenly perked up.

"Oh my God…" he muttered to himself, and Hal saw his eyebrows pull together in the glow of the screen.

"What?" Hal awkwardly tried to sit up and look at the laptop upside down.

"It's true," Barry gestured at the windows he had pulled up. "Look at this: Central City has 31,650 annual crimes, and Gotham has 13,982!"

"No way," Hal laughed incredulously. He turned the laptop a little to see better, switching between the government websites to see for himself. "Huh…look at that… You think Bruce knows?"

"Bruce knows everything," Barry chewed at his lip with a wry smile. "Man, that's depressing."

"Well, that doesn't mean anything," Hal tried to cheer him up. "At least he's never lorded it over you before. Wait, look – that's why, right there. Central has like 200,000 more people than Gotham does. See? It all evens out."

It quickly turned into a game – looking up their friends' cities and comparing populations and crime rates. Hal would think up a hero, and Barry googled the stats. They spent a good two hours going back and forth, making guesses about who had the worst city and laughing when they were way off.

"Metropolis only has 5,000 annual crimes," Barry reported in a surprised tone.

"What about Coast City?"

"4, 557," Barry said after a few seconds, and then he sighed. "Oh, come on! Central's is almost seven times that!"

"Yeah, but you've gotta remember something," Hal closed the laptop's lid before Barry could get any more frustrated. "If you're gonna be fair to yourself, you have to compare _your_ beat to my _whole_ one. Do you think there's any way to look up the entire _planet's_ annual crime rate?"

It worked. Barry's face twisted up into a comical frown for a heartbeat, and then they both burst out laughing. Barry expertly rolled off the couch without dumping the laptop onto the floor, "Point made."

Hal lounged against the couch for a moment longer, resting a hand on his aching stomach muscles, "You heading to bed?"

"Yeah," Barry stretched both arms high above his head and rolled his shoulders, yawning. "I'm gonna check on Wally first. You staying up?"

"Nope," Hal rocked his knees back and used the momentum to jump to his feet. "If you're going to sleep, then so am I. No point being awake when I can't see your gorgeous face looking back at me."

"Very smooth," Barry complimented sarcastically with a little laugh as he disappeared upstairs.

Hal allowed himself a little, pleased smile anyways and started turning everything off on the first floor. He made sure all the doors were locked and that the coffee pot was unplugged and trudged up to the second floor hallway where he found Barry paused outside of Wally's room with his ear pressed to the door. Hal cocked an eyebrow at him, "What're you do-?"

Barry glanced over at him for a second and frantically waved one arm to shut him up. Hal crept over to him as silently as he could and played along, listening closely. After a few seconds, he figured out what had caught the speedster's attention; there were _voices_ coming from his son's room!

"That is _not_ the TV!" Hal jerked upright in alarm and nearly kicked down the closed door in his rush to get in. Barry followed him in, alarmed but going with it. They both stumbled to a halt when they spotted Wally sitting cross-legged on the carpet, perfectly fine and in the middle of telling some joke. Across from him, perched on the bed with both legs drawn up to his chest, was a black-haired boy just a few years younger with dark sunglasses and a wide grin on his face.

Both boys fell silent and whipped around to stare at Hal and Barry with guilty expressions. No one spoke for a long second until Hal pointed one finger at the young boy, reluctant to hear the answer, "…Are you Robin?"

Wally cringed at being caught, and sunglasses boy tried to look properly ashamed, "Maybe?"

"Oh my God, you two," Barry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in perfect 'disappointed dad' pose. "What did we say earlier?"

"To be fair," Wally started optimistically. "You only said that _I_ couldn't go to Gotham, not that Robin couldn't come here."

"I may not have said it, but Batman definitely did," Barry had his jaw locked and his eyes steeled in disapproval. "And I highly doubt that he knows you snuck over here from New Jersey."

The kids' stony silence confirmed everything that they suspected.

"Okay…" Hal began, staying very still while his brain worked furiously to come up with a solution. "There's still time to fix this. How long has he been here?"

Wally shrugged, "I dunno."

"Oh man," Hal sighed, massaging his temples with both hands. He started pacing in the narrow doorway anxiously. "Okay! I got it! I'm just gonna fly you back to Gotham before Batman notices you're missing. He'll never know you were here. Wait, it would be faster if Barry ran you there. Barry…"

He stopped pacing, turning his back on the twin looks of incredulity he was getting, and frowned at his boyfriend. Barry was doing his 'on hold' loiter out in the hallway, one arm tucked across his chest and the other holding a cell phone to his ear. Hal cocked his head to the side and held out his hands in a perplexed shrug, "Who…are you talking to?"

Barry glanced at him over his shoulder and covered the mouthpiece, "Batman."

Hal flew into a panic, arms flailing at Barry to try and knock the phone from his hands, " _Why?!_ Holy crap, _no!_ He's gonna be so mad!"

"He'll be much angrier if we _don't_ tell him," Barry said in a low rush, pushing Hal back with one socked foot and still keeping his hand over the phone. "Plus, how would you feel if you came home one night and Wally was missing?"

"That already happened," Hal shook his head and whispered like he didn't see the connection. "It was awful."

"Yeah, and I don't want Bats going through the same thing," Barry shot back with a meaningful look. He clapped Hal on the shoulder and straightened up suddenly, heading downstairs and talking into the phone. "Bats! Hey, this is Flash. Listen, I got some-"

His voice got quieter as he went down the steps, and Hal made uncomfortable faces after him that he couldn't see. Hal couldn't figure it out, but Barry had the kind of easy friendship with Bruce that defied all logic.

He went back to Wally's room where the two boys were looking sheepish enough. They were all big eyes and puppy dog pouts like that would lessen their impending sentences, and yeah, maybe it was working a little bit. Hal fixed his expression into an unfamiliar, stern grimace and cocked an eyebrow at them both, "You two are gonna get me in trouble with Batman."

"Sorry, Pop."

"Sorry, Mr. Jordan."

"'Sorry' isn't gonna save me from the Batglare in League meetings," Hal snapped back at them both irritably. He heaved a great sigh and leaned one shoulder against the wall as they waited for Barry to come back upstairs a few minutes later. He looked grim but not overly upset, Hal noted. However, poor Robin had the worst look of dread painted across his face.

Barry held up the closed cell phone and gave the dark-haired boy a humorless half grin, "I'm not going to lie; it sounds like you're in a lot of trouble when you get back to Gotham."

The kid's face turned downcast, "Yeah, I know…"

"Batman can't come get you right now because he's still out on patrol," Barry continued in an easier tone. "So we decided it would be best for you to stay the night here, and he'll pick you up first thing in the morning."

Unbelievably, Wally and Robin both perked up at those words and flashed excited grins at each other. Hal felt a migraine coming on. He planted one hand on his hip and leveled his best impression of Barry's disapproving grimace at the boys, "No, no, no. Don't be thinking that you two 'won' or anything. This isn't happening again. When we tell you 'no', we mean it. And, just to prove it, Wally you're grounded as of right now. One week."

That was all it took to break their united front. Wally balked at the punishment, "A whole _week_?! But I didn't even do anything! _Robin_ was the one who used the zeta beams to come over here!"

"Hey," Robin frowned at being thrown under the bus, but Wally only pouted sullenly.

"And double chores with _out_ powers," Hal continued, unfazed. He really couldn't care less if this whole thing had been Robin's idea or not. Wally knew better. "And don't worry. I'm sure Robin will have it much worse when he gets home. He's in much hotter water than you."

It felt a little weird admonishing someone else's kid, but Robin was probably going to be a huge part of Wally's life in the coming years. It was best to establish base rules early on.

Robin's frown deepened, and he kicked his legs back and forth angrily over the side of the bed, "I already got kicked off patrol. There's not much more Batman can do."

That was actually news to Hal. He glanced sideways at Barry in surprise, and the speedster shrugged discreetly. So, Bruce hadn't mentioned that over the phone. Huh. Hal had kinda been wondering why Robin wasn't out swinging from rooftops with the Dark Knight, but he didn't really know their schedule. Looks like it was strange after all.

"Well, breaking the rules won't get you back out there any faster," Barry stepped up compassionately. He looked tired. "Understand?"

Robin didn't look happy about it, but he nodded. Even Wally was listening intently to his dad.

"Alright, you two get ready for bed," Barry's expression turned softer. "Lights out in five minutes. Don't make us have to say it twice."

"Yes, Mr. Allen."

"Okay, Dad."

Wally went to his dresser obediently and started pulling out PJs for himself and Robin. Hal's eyebrows lifted in awe, and he followed Barry to their bedroom, "Damn, you're really good at this parenting stuff."

Barry gave him a smile over his shoulder, "So are you."

A ridiculously pleased grin stretched across Hal's mouth, and a cluster of warmth filled his chest, "You didn't mind that, did you – when I grounded him?"

"We're raising him together, aren't we?" Barry stopped to give him a quick kiss on the lips and trail his fingers along the nape of Hal's neck. Hal couldn't help watching him unbutton his shirt as he moved towards the bed. "Besides, I would've gone for two weeks."

Hal exhaled with a short laugh, "Well, I wanna be the fun dad."

Barry pulled back one corner of the sheets and cocked an eyebrow at him, "And make me the heavy all the time? Not a chance. From now on, we split groundings evenly."

"Deal. Whatever you want," Hal slipped off his jeans and climbed into bed beside his boyfriend. His smile faded a bit as he thought about what Robin had said, and he turned onto his side to look at Barry thoughtfully. "Y'know what? It's actually sorta relieving to hear that Bats is having trouble raising a kid that insists on fighting crime too. Kinda makes me feel like he's in the same boat as us and Ollie."

"You should talk to him one day," Barry suggested playfully, knowing full well that was never going to happen. "Exchange parenting advice."

Hal let out a barking laugh and rolled back over to turn off the lights, "Yeah, _no_."

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The sound of the phone ringing woke Barry in the middle of the night. He lifted his face from between Hal's shoulder blades and rolled onto his back. It was too warm, and he didn't want to move, but the shrill ringing kept on. Disturbed partially awake, Hal groaned at the noise and wriggled back against Barry's side. With surprisingly good aim for having his eyes closed, he found Barry's arms and pulled them tight around his own chest. Barry fought to free one of his hands and had to strain and stretch to reach the receiver on the nightstand.

Barry clicked the accept button and held the phone to his forehead drowsily, "Hmr…yeah?"

Hal was already asleep again beside him, his soft snoring starting up against the background noise coming from the phone.

"Barry," Clark's voice was urgent and serious. His tone made Barry sit upright and blink frantically to wake up faster. "I'm sorry to call so late, but you need to come to Belle Reve as fast as you can."

That was like a bucket of ice water being dumped over his head. _Thawne_ was in Belle Reve Penitentiary! Barry freed himself from Hal's grasp and swung his legs out of the bed, "Is he loose? What happened?!"

"It's hard to explain," Clark said unhappily. "But he didn't escape. Your family's safe."

The unspoken 'for now' hung between them. Barry's skin vibrated uneasily, and he went for one of his costume rings in the dresser, "I'll be right there in two minutes."

He hung up and changed into his Flash uniform, just pulling on the boots when he saw Hal watching him with one eye cracked open, "You need help…?"

Barry froze in the middle of pulling his cowl on and stared back. Hal clearly hadn't overheard anything. For a second, he warred internally over whether or not to tell him before deciding to wait. Barry zipped back over to the bed and pressed a kiss to his hair, hoping that Hal didn't notice how badly he was shaking, "No, I got it. It's…just one of the Rogues. Go back to sleep."

"Mmkay, be careful," Hal smiled and buried his face into a pillow. "I love you."

"Love you too," Barry whispered as his throat closed up in dread. He _had_ to check on Wally and Robin before he left to make sure they were safe. His son was fast asleep in his bed, sprawled out just like Hal did, blissfully unaware of the danger. Barry would make sure that Zoom never laid a finger on him.

He was in Louisiana a minute later, dashing through the barbed wire gates and sentry towers of Belle Reve. Clark was waiting for him just inside with a handful of corrections officers and a stocky, dark-skinned woman who _had_ to be the infamous warden. Everything about her was severe; her frame was rigid, stiff-backed and looming, her hair pulled back into a tight, all business bun, and her lips were pressed together into a firm line.

She didn't even flinch when Barry stopped right in front of her from a dead run, "What's the situation?"

The woman gave him a hard, displeased glare and offered a sharp nod, "Flash. I'm Warden Amanda Waller. I asked you both here because there's something you need to see."

"The warden reached out to the League for assistance," Clark explained carefully. "You've got the most experience dealing with Professor Zoom, so I called you for your opinion."

No, he didn't.

"Fine. Where is he?" Barry was incredibly on edge. His temper was being poked and prodded at by terror, coiled tight and ready to snap at any moment.

"Solitary," Waller said unhappily, turning on her heel and heading towards the guard station and cell blocks. "You won't be seeing him tonight. We have Thawne heavily sedated."

Barry and Clark followed her down through rows of sleeping inmates. They exchanged grim looks, and Clark spoke up, "Then what are we here for?"

" _This_ ," Waller stopped beside the door to an open cell that was cordoned off with tape and standing floodlights. Two officers were posted on either side of the door, and someone was inside taking pictures, casting flashes of light out into the rest of the cell block. Barry zipped into the cell without hesitation, not in the mood for this vague, cloak and dagger type of thing.

When he saw what the problem was, he went very still.

"My God…" Clark was suddenly right beside him, looking all around the cell in horrified wonder.

Every inch – the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and the _cot_ – was covered in hand drawn lightning bolts in all different sizes. Barry scanned the thousands of replicas of his symbol with wide eyes. He noticed that a few of the clusters were smeared in places, and he knelt down to examine them.

"They're drawn with blood…" Barry choked out, feeling the world start crumbling around him. Thawne _remembered_. He remembered. He had to.

"What is this?!" Clark rounded on Waller.

Her displeased scowl easily outmatched his own, and she crossed both arms over her stomach, "I was expecting _you_ to be able to tell _me_ that. The Justice League were the ones who dropped him off crippled and with no memory."

"He was in _your_ custody when this happened," Barry ground out more in fear than anger. What was he going to do?

"We're taking him into League custody," Clark announced without preamble. He drew up to his full height and put on the imposing visage that he rarely used to prevent argument.

"That's not going to happen." Waller was unflappable.

"He knows dangerous information about the League. He needs to be kept _extremely_ isolated so that he doesn't share it with any inmates if his memory is returning."

"Right," Waller drawled in an unimpressed tone. "We wouldn't want your 'friend' Barry Allen to be in danger."

Barry felt his mouth work open and closed several times as he tried and failed to speak. There was no mistaking the dangerous glint and purposeful look in Waller's dark eyes. She knew who he was. Clark was staring at her with a shocked, disturbed expression and struck similarly silent.

Waller's dark red lips curled up at the edges into a superior smirk, and that was what sent Barry's temper catapulting over the edge. Before he even knew what he was doing, he was in her face with fists balled tight in fury and lightning crackling in his vision. In reflex, Waller reached back for something hooked to her belt but didn't react otherwise. Barry grit his teeth together so hard that his voice came out raw and almost primal when he growled, "No, what we don't want is his ten-year-old _son_ getting killed!"

That seemed to sober her smug attitude.

"This isn't a game, and it sure as hell isn't a pissing match between you and the Justice League," he continued furiously. "Thawne needs to be contained, especially if his memory is returning. He's too dangerous to be taken lightly."

"In case you haven't noticed, he _is_ contained," Waller shot back in a deadly calm tone. Her gaze was like knives cutting into them. "I'm not running detention in a grade school here. Belle Reve is the most effective prison on the planet for holding metahumans. Don't forget that you brought him here for a reason. I don't care who you _think_ you are; I'm not releasing him into your custody. This was nothing more than a _courtesy_ call – a heads up."

Barry wanted to ram his fist through something. Clark's massive hand closed around his arm and pulled him a few steps back before the frenetic energy could make him do something he'd regret.

"You have your warning," Waller said, and it was a clear signal for them to leave – even if she didn't budge from her spot. "I'll contact you again if there are any developments."

There was nothing either of them could say to that. Barry stared off with Waller for a few more seconds and took one last glance at the nest of bloody lightning bolts that read like a hit list to him. Then they had no choice but to exit the prison, and it was hard not to feel like they were leaving with their tails between their legs.

Clark turned to glare at the prison once they were far enough down the lone road leading away from it, and his pupils glowed red hot as he looked through walls and closed doors, "I don't see Zoom anywhere inside the building… But there are a lot of lead-lined cells. He could be inside one of them."

"Now why would Waller need those?" Barry asked cynically, but he already knew the answer. Something very suspicious was going on at Belle Reve Penitentiary, and the Justice League couldn't outright challenge it.

"Don't worry. I'll notify Batman once I get back to Metropolis," Clark laid a heavy hand on Barry's shoulder. "You know he'll have the Warden figured out in a day. And in the meantime, we'll post a Leaguer on the prison to keep an eye on things."

Barry's helpless anger melted away at he stared up at the outline of Belle Reve against the dark sky. It left him feeling weak, useless, and a familiar hole opened up in his chest as he felt the phantom weight of Iris' body in his arms. He looked to Clark, because he'd been there that night. Clark _knew_ what this meant.

The Kryptonian's fingers tightened around Barry's shoulder, and he offered an understanding smile, "Until we sit down with Thawne ourselves and assess his mental state, there should be a protective detail on Wally when he's not with you or Hal."

It killed him to think it was necessary, but Barry was nodding in agreement, "I don't want him to know that anything's wrong. I'll see if GA and Batman will take him. It'll be easy to pass it off as a playdate with Speedy and Robin."

"The whole League is with you on this," Clark promised intently. "I don't want to see you lose anyone else that you care about, and neither do the others."

It was difficult to speak and even more difficult to keep up the stoic mask, "I… thank you."

"Go home," Clark released him and moved away as he prepared to take off. "Be with your family, and we'll meet tomorrow to figure this out, alright?"

"Yeah," Barry choked out. Thankfully, Clark rose into the sky and shot off like a rocket to the east, and he didn't need to keep his composure any longer. He doubled over and braced his hands on his knees as his breath came in shallow gasps. The panic attack hit him hard and fast. Barry squeezed his eyes shut tightly and tucked his chin into his chest as his heartbeat ran away from him. The night was turning darker and darker – the ground looking like it was reaching up to swallow him whole.

He needed Hal.

Barry forced his eyes open and shoved off at a dead run towards his home. He imagined that he was leaving the crippling terror and all of his spiraling, frantic, crashing thoughts at Belle Reve, and if he could make it to Hal before they caught up to him, somehow he wouldn't drown in them.

The house was weirdly quiet in contrast to the roaring in Barry's ears when he vibrated straight through the garage walls. He could feel the hysteria closing in on him; it was playing a sick game of tag with him, and he wouldn't be safe until he could touch Hal.

Barry yanked off the cowl as he stumbled through the dark living room. His lungs weren't taking in air anymore, and he tripped on one of the steps leading to the second floor. He hit the staircase with a loud thud, catching himself with his knees and clutching his chest in panic. Barry rested his forehead on one of the top steps and gasped for air as he stayed very still, faintly hearing the sound of a bed creaking and footsteps coming closer.

Professor Zoom's memories were coming back – at least subconsciously. If they fully returned, he would know about Barry, and he'd remember killing Iris, and what if he ever found out about _Wally?!_ Wally was fast but not fast enough to escape Eobard Thawne. If Zoom came after him, he'd die just like Iris had died, because Barry hadn't been able to save _her_ , and what the hell made him think he could protect Wally!? Barry's eyes burned with failure. He couldn't survive anything happening to his son; Wally was his _heart_ walking around outside his body.

"Barry, _breathe_ ," Hal was crooning urgently into his ear, and Barry didn't know how long the Lantern had been crouched on the steps shaking him. He shook his head that he couldn't, and Hal's hands rubbed circles into his back. Barry was still in his costume, but it suddenly felt like he was wearing _two_ , and he opened his eyes to see soothing green light enveloping his body from Hal's ring. Hal pulled him into a sitting position, and Barry rested his back against the slanting wall, the wooden railing just brushing the top of his head. "You lied to me; you weren't fighting the Rogues. Where did you go?"

He didn't need to wonder very much to figure out how Hal knew. The brunet wasn't angry at all. The light from his ring chased away everything bad in the world, and his eyes were only full of concern. Barry hung his head and grabbed for Hal's arms, "Belle Reve."

Hal turned a strange color in the green glow as his skin drained of blood.

"Superman called me there because Zoom covered his cell in lightning bolts," Barry tried to ignore how pathetic his own voice sounded. He managed a few short, shallow breaths once Hal's hands found his sides and cupped his ribcage. "The warden wouldn't let us see him, but I know it's happening. He's remembering, and he's going to get out and find us, and Wally-"

"He's not gonna lay a goddamn finger on Wally," Hal growled abruptly. Barry paused in his panicking and really looked at his boyfriend. Hal's whole body was tensed and radiating hostility. His ring was practically sparking with power. "Thawne can try as hard as he likes to break out of Belle Reve. We can't do anything to him while he's in there, but the second he comes out, he's free game…and I'm gonna be waiting. I wasn't here the first time around, but this time, it's you and me together. Thawne's gotta go through _both of us_ if he wants to hurt you and Wally. And if he tries, I'm gonna finish him."

Barry had to take a moment and really focus on Hal's expression, because it almost sounded like he was talking about _killing_ Zoom. "Hal…what are you…?"

"Think about it," Hal kept this voice low in case the kids were awake. " _Really_. He didn't pay nearly enough for what he did to you."

"So we're going to hunt him down and assassinate him?" Barry shook his head even as he asked. "No. I'm not throwing my humanity away for _him_."

"I don't mean murder him," Hal agreed. "But he's never going to be a problem again after I get through with him."

"What are you going to do?" Barry was almost afraid to ask – afraid of what he _truly_ wished Hal would say.

"I'm gonna take his legs off," Hal didn't sound happy about it, but he definitely wasn't repulsed. "Thawne healed when Clark broke them before, but no one can fix what's not there."

In terms of injuries, Barry couldn't imagine very many things worse than losing his legs or being paralyzed. His powers were more than just being able to run fast and heal in a fraction of the time it took anyone else. Being a speedster was pure _freedom_. It was unlike anything else – doing what you wanted without anyone able to stop you, going anywhere in the world in minutes, without boundaries, without limits. If he woke up one day and suddenly couldn't even _walk_ …he'd be devastated. He'd recover, he'd adjust, of course, but the loss of that freedom would ache in ways that he couldn't fathom.

Hal stayed silent to let him think, but the moment Barry's eyed flicked up to lock with his, he held out his hand, "If we see him, we cripple him. Are you with me?"

Barry stared at Hal's hand apprehensively. Could he _do_ that to someone – even the man who murdered his wife – knowing how it would affect a fellow speedster? It would be torture.

He was ashamed at how quickly he found his answer.

Yes.

Barry clasped Hal's hand tightly in his own and meant every word when he spoke, "I'm with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say very quickly that I used a bit of one of my favorite quotes in this chapter:
> 
> "Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."- Elizabeth Stone
> 
> It's a beautiful line, and I wanted to make sure I give credit to Elizabeth Stone.


	20. Chapter 20 (Part 1)

It was a process keeping the whole situation from Wally. He had sharp ears and a habit for listening in on private conversations. Add into the mix how terrible Barry was at acting like everything was fine whilst his worst nightmares were coming true, and it made for a very suspicious eleven-year-old.

               The first week was the worst. Barry was nearly overcome with anxiety every time Wally left his sight. When he was at work, one of the computers was solely dedicated to monitoring the Louisiana news. He kept the Justice League communicator in his ear at all times and tuned to whichever hero was on rotation camping out at Belle Reve. Barry didn’t sleep for three days until Hal threatened to drug him one night to force him to get a few hours rest. He’d been disoriented and furious from the mental stress of being awake for so long. Coupled with all the emotions running high, it had led to one of their worst fights yet.

               They made up, and after that, Guy and John were frequent guests at the house. Splitting the watch into three and four shifts led to a lot more sleep than just two. Barry wasn’t too proud to admit that he felt more at ease with two veteran Green Lanterns camping out in the living room and teaching his son how to play every card game they could think of. Hal hadn’t even asked them to come; they’d listened to his worries and showed up that night on their own. Barry had never seen Hal as close to his Lantern brothers as he was after that.

               Even though they helped  _a lot_  with the stress, things still weren’t fine. With no news about Zoom, Barry was forced to try and go about his life like normal. It was almost impossible to be away from Wally for so long, but the boy had school, and Barry needed to keep up appearances at work. It helped that there was always a Leaguer   - usually Ralph or Diana - posted outside the school to keep watch. When classes let out, Wally was taken to Star City if Barry or Hal were still at work.

               They left him in Oliver’s care when they were unavailable. Being CEO of Queen Consolidated, Oliver was the perfect person to watch Wally. He was able to make his own schedule and work from home, and they could give Wally the excuse that it was just a play date with Roy. The maximum security of the Batcave was more preferable to Barry, but he understood why that wasn’t an option. At least Bruce had cleared Robin to join Wally and Roy in Star City most of the time. Their excitement over getting to hang out with Robin usually overshot their suspicions about why they were meeting up so often.

               Barry was unspeakably grateful to his friends.

               The second week got a little easier. Barry was actually able to go about his day without worrying that Eobard Thawne had broken out of Belle Reve. He could sit at his work station in the lab without imagining Zoom’s hands around Wally’s throat, without seeing Hal gutted on the floor - dead before he’d even realized he was being attacked. Barry was able to think entire, rational sentences.

               Zoom was in a prison specifically designed to hold metahuman criminals.

               Even if his memories  _did_  come back, Thawne still had an inhibitor collar locked around his neck. He wouldn’t be able to break out.

               And if he somehow  _did_  manage to break out, Barry would be one of the first people notified - either by Warden Waller or the Leaguer standing by. It wasn’t like he’d be blindsided. Barry was ready to do whatever necessary in order to protect his family. He  _was._

               The third week brought him a distraction. Solomon Grundy and Bizarro, in the oddest team-up ever, went on a rampage that lasted two days and cut a swath of destruction four states wide. They weren’t exactly part of Barry’s gallery of rogues, but he didn’t remember either twisted villain being that hard to bring down before. It had taken a handful of heavy hitters to do it.

               Then Bruce, being Bruce, refused to take the incident at face value and had to investigate further. Clark and Barry helped him with the legwork, and it turned out that someone had pumped the villains full of some kind of steroid and set them loose on the swamplands of the south. The whole thing stank of a much larger scheme, but they never got to the bottom of it before another crisis took precedence. Barry was constantly running around, heading off disasters, but it was the most normal he’d felt in a long time.

               By the time a full month passed, Barry had a whole new set of problems. Wally was chomping at the bit for some freedom during patrols. Barry and Hal liked to keep him by their sides at all times during skirmishes with the Rogues, sometimes even forfeiting a capture if it required that they split up and let Wally go after one by himself. Wally clearly resented being the reason for a villain getting away, but he obeyed his fathers anyway. Barry understood his feelings, but he still wasn’t ready to put his son in that kind of danger yet.

               On top of that, the Guardians were pressuring Hal more and more to patrol his  _entire_  sector on a regular basis. Hal was no slouch, although he’d been keeping close to Earth after the Professor Zoom scare. That left John to be the one who had to look out for the other planets in 2814 and lose time with his own family. Barry knew that Hal felt terrible about it, and neither one of them knew what they were going to do when it came to long term solutions. Hal would lose his ring if he didn’t do the job right, and there was only so long that he could put off ‘away missions’, even for Wally.

               It was a very difficult thing to consider, but maybe it was time for Barry to calm down a little. It was going on two months now, and none of the Leaguers had reported any strange activity from Belle Reve. No one ever said it where he or Hal could hear, but Barry knew that  some of the heroes called the Belle Reve surveillance shifts worse than watching paint dry. They hated it more than being assigned monitor duty.

               And what was Barry supposed to say to defend it? Sixty days, and nothing bad had happened - nothing  _at all_  had happened. Warden Waller still refused to let anyone in the Justice League assess Zoom’s mental state, but she’d released his psych eval to them after Clark kept badgering her relentlessly for an update.

               The report was a joke. It was a slap in the face disguised as a piece of paper with the sole purpose of getting them to shut up. Barry had read it a hundred times, and the only thing about it that linked the eval to Professor Zoom was the name printed at the top. J'onn thought that it was faked, and Barry was inclined to believe him. After all, it was J'onn who had evaluated Zoom nine years ago.

               But how were they supposed to prove that Waller was lying to them? There was no doubt that she was hiding  _something,_  but the League had no authority to interfere with the government or compel the prison warden to disclose anything that she didn’t want to. Short of storming the prison and breaking into it himself or hacking into their networks, Barry had no way to get any more information. He was stuck waiting for something to happen.

               His restraint had never been tested like this before.

               Barry sat at his desk at work, mourning his decision to get into law enforcement for the umpteenth time. Maybe he wouldn’t be so trapped in his own moral code if he’d majored in something else in college. He rested his forehead in the nest of his arms and picked long strands of dust out of his keyboard. He was stuck waiting at work too, go figure, for an email from STAR labs. One of their pieces of equipment had wound up at a crime scene, and Barry couldn’t process the evidence without the engineer who’d created it. Until she got back to him, Barry would have to wait…

               He glanced up at the time in the corner of the computer screen and sighed. It was just after 5:30, and STAR labs closed at 7:00. He was going to be chained to his desk waiting on emails tomorrow too, he could feel it.

               "Barry.“

               He turned his head in the cradle of his arms to look for who had called him. Patty and Tony were also at their desks looking towards the lab doors where Captain Frye was waiting patiently. Barry jolted upright and rose out of his chair in a rush, "Yes, sir?”

               "Let’s take a walk,“ Frye jerked his head out towards the hallway, expression carefully neutral.

               Barry paused for a second, glancing back at his workstation. He was reluctant to leave without hearing anything back yet.

               "Bring your tablet with you,” Frye suggested, seeing his hesitation. “We’re just going to get some dinner. I don’t mind if you have projects that you need to keep an eye on.”

               "Alright…" Barry said cautiously, logging out of his terminal and shoving his work tablet into his lab coat. He had no idea why Frye wanted to talk to him, but he caught Patty and Tony exchanging a significant look on his way out.  _That_  couldn’t be good. Frye had a calm smile on his face though, so Barry followed him through the station all the way to his office without saying a word. He gestured for Barry to take a seat and shut the blinds before sitting down opposite him.

               "Is everything okay?“ Barry asked him carefully.

               "Of course it is,” Frye gave him a reassuring smile, making the crow’s feet around his eyes stand out. He set a takeout bag on the desk between them and tossed Barry a soda. “Thought we needed to catch up. I had Broome grab some meatball subs for everyone in the station.”

               "Uh, thanks,“ Barry still didn’t understand what was going on.

               "Don’t look so nervous!” Frye laughed, digging out two enormous sandwiches and sliding both to Barry. “I’m going to need you to eat both of those, by the way. You look like you’ve lost thirty pounds. It’s not healthy.”

               Barry exhaled in a short laugh, relaxing just a little. Jay had been telling him the same thing. “Yes sir…”

               "There ya go. I haven’t seen you smile in weeks. What’s going on?“

               And there it was. Barry stared at him for a long minute, watching as the police captain tried to nonchalantly start in on his own dinner. "Nothing. I’m fine.”

               "That’s not what your coworkers have been telling me.“ Frye gave a shrug, still smiling at Barry knowingly.

               When Barry didn’t say anything back, he heaved a sigh and leaned his elbows on the desk, "Son, I’ve been doing this job for almost forty years. I know how to spot a person in crisis, and you’ve been twisting over something big lately. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you need to talk about it. Whatever you’re going through, it’ll eat you alive if you don’t. So, talk to me.”

               Barry looked down at his hands, worrying at the inside of his cheek. He trusted his captain - that wasn’t the issue - but there was so much that he couldn’t say. “I…haven’t been sleeping well.”

               "Uh huh,“ Frye nodded for him to continue. He reclined in his desk chair and gestured for Barry to eat something while he talked. "Nightmares?”

               Barry half-heartedly unwrapped one of the subs, “Pretty much every night.”

               "What are they about?“

               "Usually something happening to Wally or Hal,” Barry told him truthfully. He could try to skirt around the edges of anything that would give him away, but he had to give up a good portion of the facts. Frye could smell bullshit a mile away, and Barry wasn’t all that good at lying to begin with.  

               Frye didn’t look surprised. He took a long pull from his soda and gave Barry a moment to think, “What about anxiety attacks? Have you experienced any of those recently?”

               This time, Barry couldn’t check his reaction. His body went cold, and his stomach dropped. The dread must’ve been plain on his face, because Frye gave him a sympathetic smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He tried to speak and had to clear his throat when the words got stuck, “Y-Yeah…How did you know…?”

               In his pocket, the tablet chimed once for a new message received. He heard the sound distantly and had to ignore it so that his racing thoughts didn’t crash together.

               "Well, I’ve been keeping an eye on you,“ Frye told him, not unkindly. "And I’ve listened to what the crime lab crew has told me. They’re all worried about you, especially Patty and Tony. And I gotta tell you, Barry, so am I. You’ve been isolating yourself from others, looking over your shoulder all the time like you expect someone to attack you, you’ve lost a  _lot_  of weight in a very short amount of time. Now, I’m obviously not a psychiatrist, but I’ve seen enough of my officers develop post traumatic stress disorder to recognize it when I see it.”

               Barry was floored.

               " _PTSD_?“ he repeated incredulously.

               Frye didn’t break eye contact.

               "No,” he gave a dismayed, helpless laugh and shook his head. “I don’t have… I’m fine.”

               "So, you don’t think that you have it even though you’re exhibiting all the symptoms?“ Frye said patiently.  He looked unconvinced. "Barry, you-”

               "Nothing’s happened to me!“ Barry insisted, throwing his arms out wide. He’d always handled the danger and stress of his double life just fine. Captain Frye couldn’t know it, but Barry had never had a problem dealing with combat or transitioning back and forth into his Flash persona. "I work in a lab all day. It’s not like I’m out getting shot at or having to kill anyone in self-defense.”

               This seemed to do the opposite of convincing the captain.

               "Barry, I’m not talking about the job,“ Frye reached out and covered Barry’s arm with a big hand, patting it consolingly. He seemed to struggle with the words before saying, "Your wife was murdered in your own home. You found her body yourself. I responded to your 911 call, if you remember. You were covered in her blood.”

               "That…" Barry swallowed hard, taken off guard. “But that was nine years ago.”

               "Do you think that trauma has a time limit?“ Frye asked quietly. "That after a certain amount of years have gone by, it just goes away?”

               "No…"

               "You can be fine for years and have something start suddenly triggering flashbacks,“ Frye reclined back and folded both hands over his stomach. It was an interrogation tactic, Barry couldn’t help but notice. The captain was hoping to coax him into talking by backing off and giving him some space.

                _Stop it_ , Barry told himself. Frye was his friend, not just his boss, and he was only trying to put Barry at ease. This was  _not_  an interrogation. He let out a long sigh and leaned on the desk, head in his hands.

               "Look, you don’t need to say anything you don’t want to,” Frye gave him a moment. “I’m not trying to pressure you. You don’t even have to talk to  _me_  at all - the department has plenty of resources for you. I only wanted you to know that this isn’t all in your head _. I noticed_. What you’re going through is real, and there are ways to manage it.”

               Barry wasn’t really sure how to feel about all this. It was almost like it was happening to someone else. He took a deep breath and broke eye contact with the captain, letting his gaze drop to the side, “…Thank you.”

               His whole body itched to run.

               "Does Hal know what’s going on? Have you talked to him about the nightmares?“

               "Yeah,” Barry told him quietly. It was a lie, and it wasn’t. Of course Hal knew about the nightmares; he was the one who dragged Barry out of them when they escalated from cold paralysis to violent seizing. But he didn’t think that either of them fully grasped how much damage was lurking beneath the surface, eating away at them both.

               Frye looked skeptical but said nothing. He didn’t have to.

               "I’ll talk to him tonight,“ Barry promised, waving one hand half-heartedly between them. "About…this.”

               "Hal’s a good man. He’ll support you,“ Frye reached over the desk and clapped Barry on the shoulder reassuringly.

               And there was no argument there. He smiled fondly, giving a tired nod, "He’s been supporting me for a long time already.”

               "Then I have a feeling you’ll be just fine,“ the crow’s feet at his eyes stood out sharply when Frye grinned.

               "I hope so.”

               There was a knock at the door, and they both turned to see one of the desk clerks holding up a thick, manila folder and waving it rather urgently. Frye stood up with a reluctant groan and buttoned his suit jacket, “Duty calls. Are you going to be okay?”

               Barry stood as well, quickly clearing the remains of their dinner from the captain’s desk, “I’m fine. And…thank you, really. I appreciate the concern, and I’ll handle it.”

               "If you need anything, just say the word,“ Frye walked him out of the office. "And take off early tonight if you need to. Spend some time with your family.”

               "Yes sir,“ Barry thought that was probably a good idea. Hal was still at work, but he could surprise Wally and pick him up early from Star City. He pulled out his phone and headed back towards the labs, dialing Hal as he went. He felt…oddly lightheaded somehow?

               Hal didn’t pick up, which meant he was probably in a jet right now, so Barry hung up without leaving a message. He switched to their private League frequency and pulled the tablet from his lab coat. It had gone off while he was talking to Frye, and he wanted to see if it was STAR Labs finally getting back to him. Even if he was taking off early, there was still time to set things up for tomorrow.

                _"Hey, handsome,”_ Hal’s voice crackled in his ear. Barry could hear the snapping sound of his jacket being buffeted by the wind and smiled. No matter what was happening, the thought of Hal looking windswept was a pleasant image.  _“You’ve got good timing; we’re fueling up right now. Everything okay?”_

“Yeah,” Barry plugged in his password and unlocked the tablet, relying on muscle memory to carry him to the lab on autopilot. “Just wanted to hear your voice.”

                _“Aww,”_ Hal was laughing, clearly not buying it.  _“Now, really: what do you want?”_

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He pulled up his e-mail where the inbox was steadily blinking green with a new message. “You got me. Just wanted to let you know I’m getting off work early tonight. I’m about to go pick up Wally, so you don’t need to swing by Ollie’s on the way home.”

                _“Oh, cool. Do you need me to bring dinner?"_

               "Nah, we’ll make something at home,” Barry opened the e-mail, frowning at the subject line, which was just one long pattern of backslashes and random keystrokes. Well, it definitely wasn’t STAR Labs then, and he didn’t recognize the sender. How had it managed to circumvent his spam folder? “Or just eat leftovers.”

               He tilted his head, looking at the zigzag pattern from a different angle while his older-than-dirt tablet loaded the message. And it  _was_  a pattern…

                _“_ Or  _I could get In-N-Out,”_ Hal sang temptingly.  _“I can totally make it home before the fries turn gross.”_

               "Sold,“ Barry’s brain was running on overdrive trying to figure out what the pattern reminded him of. And then he turned the screen on its side, and it came to him.

               It was one long string of lightning bolts.

               He stopped walking so suddenly that he pitched forward and stumbled into the wall.

                _"Awesome! What do you want?”_

               Hal’s voice became a distant murmur until all Barry could hear was a loud ringing in his ears. Like after a bomb goes off. He righted the tablet, heart thudding against his ribcage as a picture attachment loaded line by line to reveal a photo of Wally as a young child. But it wasn’t just the picture itself. Someone had taken a snapshot of the  _actual_  photograph in a frame. Barry recognized it immediately, and he knew  _exactly_  where it sat on his desk at the house. He looked at it practically every day.

                _Someone had been in their house._

He scrolled down with trembling fingers until he got to the bottom of the e-mail and read the two words that were typed just below Wally’s smiling face: Strike Three.

               It felt like a punch to the gut. Barry gasped sharply and staggered back a half step, fingers gripping the tablet convulsively. He re-read the words a thousand times in the span of a second, as if they would miraculously change into something else if he blinked. Hal was calling his name through the communicator now, sounding concerned.

               Barry’s eyes darted to the top of the message at the time received.  _Twenty minutes ago._

“Oh my god.”

                _“What? What’s happening? Can you even hear me?”_

“Hal…”

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               "They think we’re stupid,“ Roy grumbled from somewhere above Wally. He spared the quickest of glances over his shoulder before returning to the screen in front of him. The older boy was lying on his back on the bed, tossing a ball up in the air and lazily catching it with one hand.

               Normally, Wally would’ve rolled his eyes and made fun of Roy for being grumpy, but he actually agreed for once. He shrugged and let his fingers dart half-heartedly across the controller he had pointed at the game he and Robin were playing, "Worse. They think we’re babies.”

               "Like I said: stupid.“

               "Have your dads even tried to tell you what’s up?” Robin was unusually quiet, giving about the same amount of effort to their game as Wally was.

                _“No.”_

               "Nothin.“

               Robin frowned behind his dark shades, "Batman revoked all my passwords to the computers.”

               At that, Wally lowered his controller and stared at him. The younger boy looked equal parts angry and embarrassed to admit it. It must really be bugging him. Wally knew how much Robin liked to brag about the trust Batman put into him. “Wow, really? I thought he was encouraging you to learn that hacking thing you were trying out.”

               "I thought so too. Guess he changed his mind…" Robin flat out let the controller drop out of his hands, and he fell backwards onto the carpet with a sigh.

               "He didn’t change his mind,“ Roy rolled onto his side to look down at them on the floor. "He locked you out because he’s hiding something that he doesn’t want you to find. They all are. Why do you think we’ve seen more of each other these last two months than we have all year? Huh?”

               Roy had an amplifying effect on Wally’s temper, he always had. If Roy was upset, then Wally was too. “I don’t get it. I thought they were trusting me more.”

               Roy looked disbelieving.

               "No, really!“ Wally insisted, sitting upright and hopping up onto his knees to look Roy in the eye. "Like on patrols, Dad and Pop were actually letting me help fight the bad guys. I wasn’t stuck just doing crowd control and getting people out of the way. It was really cool! And now I’m lucky if they don’t leave me at Grandpa Jay’s house.”

               "Do you think they’re in trouble?“ Robin propped himself up on his elbows. "Like end of the world stuff?”

               Roy scoffed, “I think we would’ve heard about that on the news.”

               Wally glanced between the two of them, “…You two watch the news?”

               "Yeah,“ they both said together, like it was obvious. Robin grinned, "Don’t you?”

               " _No_ ,“ Wally laughed. "I’m eleven. My dads say 'suit up’, and I suit up. I like to keep things simple.”

               Robin just laughed with him, but Roy rolled his eyes and muttered 'moron’.

               "Well, if something  _is_  wrong, then they’re missin out,“ Wally folded both arms behind his head, smirking at his best friends. "They don’t call me The Fastest Kid Alive for no reason.”

               "No one calls you that,“ Robin flicked a piece of popcorn at him.

               Wally caught it in his mouth and flashed a toothy grin, "The newspapers do.”

               "I thought you said you didn’t care about the news,“ Robin taunted playfully, sticking out his tongue.

               "It’s called a headline,” Wally made a face right back at him. “Maybe you’ve seen one? Big, bold letters? Any idiot can read it?”

               Roy stopped tossing his baseball and sighed, “I can’t even make fun of you for that. It’s too easy.”

                Robin dissolved into cackling laughter, and Wally jumped up to sock Roy in the arm. The older boy rolled off the bed and made a grab for Wally, who backpedaled out of his reach. He was across the room in a second, pulling down one eyelid and sticking his tongue out at Roy, “Too slow!”

               Roy whipped the baseball at Wally’s face, Wally dropped to the floor to avoid the 90mph projectile, and Robin tackled Roy around the kneecaps. And then it was on.

               They wrestled each other in one big heap, Wally not entirely sure who was sitting on his leg or which ear he was jamming a wet finger into. Roy was the strongest, and he easily tossed Robin aside like he weighed nothing. But the boy wonder was like liquid, twisting out of any hold they tried to trap him in and jabbing at pressure points with quick fingers. Wally dodged Roy’s expertly thrown missiles, snatched them out of the air, and tossed them right back. They were evenly matched, juggling each other’s strengths and exploiting their weaknesses, poking fun at each other when someone made a misstep.

               Wally was flat on his back, gasping with laughter as he watched Roy struggle to keep Robin’s hands away from his face, when he felt the air in the room ripple with a familiar frequency. He let a big smile stretch over his face and sat bolt upright. He’d know that vibration pattern anywhere; it was a speedster on approach. Dad was early!

               It took him a second to pinpoint where his dad was coming in from, and he eagerly twisted around to face the eastern wall of Roy’s room that was covered in archery posters and torn out magazine articles. Behind him, Robin and Roy’s movements began to slow down until they were nearly frozen in place. It was still weird to slip in and out of relative time, but Wally was finally getting the hang of it. It had become a game recently between him and Dad to see if he could surprise the older speedster by matching their speeds at the drop of a hat.

               He was so pleased with himself for switching into relative time that it didn’t occur to him how odd it was for his dad to be coming in through a solid wall that had no doors.

               Not until it was too late.

               The lightning-shrouded figure that came knifing through the wall at over two hundred miles an hour definitely wasn’t his father.

               The  _only_  thing that saved them was that Wally was already moving at nearly the same speed as the intruder. He registered the glowing crimson eyes and uniform that was an eerily reversed version of his dad’s, and launched himself at his friends.

               A split second slower, and the red hot lightning streaking behind the intruder would’ve lanced right through Wally’s legs.

               He tackled Roy and Robin at speeds too fast to be part of their game. All three hit the floor hard, Wally and Robin rolling with the momentum and stumbling back to their feet while Roy stayed planted in a defensible position between them and the intruder.

               Wally could see his friends’ eyes darting around frantically, trying to take in what happened and process just what the hell was standing in front of them. The lightning crackled away enough for them to clearly make out the man prying his fist out of the splintered wall just inches from where Wally had been sitting. Wally’s heart started hammering right out of his chest. He really was dressed like the Flash, the cowl, the lightning bolts, the symbol on his chest, all colors inverted to be the exact opposite of his father’s. It was jarringly  _wrong_.

               And yet, Wally knew he’d seen it before.

               The reverse Flash rolled his shoulder and leveled a glare at them that was practically sparking with lethal intent.

               None of them needed to say a single word. All three had been highly trained, reflexes fine-tuned for crisis, and taught to recognize a ’ _Run, do not engage_ ’ threat when they saw one.

               Robin had two handfuls of concussive grenades out and hurtling towards the reverse Flash before Wally even knew he’d pulled his utility belt out. Wally snagged the back of Roy’s hoodie and yanked him out of range right before the grenades went off. The chain of blasts knocked the reverse Flash off his feet and sent him slamming into the already buckled wall.

               Wally’s whole body was trembling with nervous energy, temporarily deafened and struck motionless from the blast. He let Roy grab him round the middle and haul him off his feet. Dimly, he saw that Roy had done the same to Robin and was hauling them both across the room as far from the intruder as they could get. Only problem was: there was no exit there.

               "Roy…" he croaked out, trying to point this out to him, but the older boy just set him and Robin down and began systematically beating on the wall. What was he doing? Why wasn’t he heading for the door? No one was going to hear them from up here. Ollie and Dinah were all the way on the ground floor watching a movie together.

               "Shut up and follow me,“ Roy yelled, his fist hitting the wall just right to make one of the panels shudder and slide down into the floor, exposing a narrow cubby and a fireman’s pole. The archer spared one glance over his shoulder to make sure the intruder was still disoriented, and then he leapt onto the pole, sliding down and out of view. Wally wasted no time grabbing Robin and pulling them both in after Roy. The drop made Wally’s stomach flip, but he recovered by the time they hit the ground of a secret passageway. He probably would’ve freaked out about how cool it was that there were still secret passages in the Queen Mansion he didn’t know about if they weren’t being chased by an evil double of his dad.

               "This way! Come on!” Roy took off running down one of the passages. Wally’s legs felt like jelly, but he shoved Robin in front of him and forced them into a stumbling jog.

               It wasn’t until he heard the echoing roar from three stories up that the feeling decided to return to Wally’s legs, and they kicked it into high gear. Robin kept up with Roy, booking it faster than Wally had ever seen him go before, but it was still far too slow. They were literally inside the walls of Queen Mansion, and the passageway was barely wide enough for Wally’s shoulders. They kept bumping into the unfinished boards and slowing their progress. It didn’t help that Wally couldn’t stop himself from looking over his shoulder to see if the reverse Flash had caught up with them. He kept feeling the back of his neck crawl like fingers were about to close around it.

               And then, it happened. Wally glanced back and saw a glow of red around one of the corners they’d turned in their mad dash to get away. His heartbeat quadrupled, and he whipped back around in terror, “ _Roy!!”_

               "Is he coming?!“ the older boy gasped out, not slowing down or looking back. He led them down another branch of the passageway. At this point, Wally had no idea where they were in the mansion. Panic and adrenaline had wiped out most conscious thought, leaving only the need to get to safety. He didn’t know what was happening. He put himself in danger all the time on patrols, but he’d never felt this terrified when facing any of the Rogues before. They fought to hurt - sometimes kill - and to get away with whatever plan they’d hatched. If you were in their way, you had to go.

                _This_   _one_  wanted to kill  _him_ specifically. Wally had seen it in his eyes. It had shaken him to his core.

               "Yeah,” Wally yelled. “I don’t think he can fit very well in here, but that’s not gonna slow him down - not if he can go through walls!”

               Roy swore breathlessly, “Who the hell  _is_  he?!”

               The question was clearly aimed at Wally, and it surprised them both when Robin answered, “That’s Professor Zoom.”

               "How do you even know that?!“

               "Batman has files on every known villain,” Robin told them in a tight voice. “But I don’t understand; Professor Zoom is supposed to be in Belle Reve with his memory erased.”

               "Well, he broke out, didn’t he?!“ Roy was trying to keep it together for them, but he was starting to crack. He led them through a few more sharp turns in an effort to get out of the reverse Flash’s sightline before he caught up. "Why is he here?!”

               Robin went very quiet, but Wally saw his head twitch like he wanted to look back at him. A horrible weight settled in his stomach. “He’s after me…”

               Again, Robin said nothing, which was as good as confirmation.

                _“What?”_  This time, Roy did turn back to gape at them, and the movement caused him to knock his shoulder into the wall.

               "You saw what he looks like,” Wally swallowed hard. “He has to be one of my dad’s rogues, and he learned our identities. I don’t know how, but what else makes sense? He’s after me to get to my dads.”

               "Wally, it’s more than tha-“ Robin began, guilt clear in his body language.

               Roy cut him off with a growl, "He’s not getting you  _here_.”

               He wanted to ask Robin what else he was going to say, but the passageway suddenly lit up in red, and they heard the crackle of lightning catching up fast.

               "Take a left  _now_ ,“ Roy shifted his weight to one foot and launched himself down a smaller, side passage. Wally and Robin followed, having to nearly crawl because it was so low. They moved as quickly as they could, but the hairs standing up on the back of Wally’s neck said it wasn’t fast enough.

               The tunnel led to a dead end, boarded up so tightly that no light came through. Wally really hoped there was some kind of secret hatch, otherwise they were dead meat. Sure enough, Roy aimed a swift kick at the wall and knocked a small door right off its hinges. Light and dust flooded the passage, blinding Wally for a moment and no doubt announcing their location to the speedster hunting them down.

               The three of them scrambled out, tripping over each other as Roy hollered for Oliver. Wally took in another burning, ragged breath, and stole one more terrified glance into the passageway.

               Two gleaming red eyes looked back at him.


End file.
